Cougars Close In-Season Tourney Slate This Weekend in Florida at Stetson Invite

Match #13
Chicago State (6-6) vs. Brown (4-2)
Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 – 10 a.m.
Edmunds Center – DeLand, Fla.
Live Video - Live Stats

Match #14
Chicago State vs. Bethune-Cookman (5-5)
Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 – 1:30 p.m.
Edmunds Center – DeLand, Fla.
Live Video - Live Stats

Match #15
Chicago State at Stetson (6-3)
Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 – 10 a.m.
Edmunds Center – DeLand, Fla.
Live Video - Live Stats

Stetson Invitational Match Notes

CHICAGO -

Opening Serve – Chicago State volleyball travels to DeLand, Fla., to compete in its last in-season tournament with the Stetson Invitational at the Edmunds Center in DeLand. CSU opens tournament play with a pair of matches on Friday that begins against Brown at 10 a.m. followed by Bethune-Cookman at 1:30 p.m. The Green and White then take on host Stetson on Saturday morning in their final match of the weekend starting at 10 a.m.

Scouting the Cougars – Chicago State brings a record of 6-6 into the weekend after producing a 3-1 victory Tuesday night at Northern Illinois behind double-doubles from senior outside hitter Lauryn Dela Cruz (Provo, Utah/Timpview) [21 kills, 18 digs] and junior outside hitter Beatriz Palmieri (Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil/Professora Carlina Cacapava de Mello) [18 kills, 18 digs]. CSU is led offensively by Dela Cruz as she is posting a team-leading average of 3.86 kills per set to go along with 2.93 digs a set, while junior defensive specialist Megan Klavitter (Fenton, Mich./Linden) ranks first in the Western Athletic Conference in total digs (222) and digs per set (5.29), while sophomore setter Lacee Adams (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) paces the Cougars in assists (6.38 aps) and service aces (13).

Scouting the Bears – Brown comes to the Stetson Invite sporting a season record of 4-2 after finishing with a 2-1 record at the Hartford Invitational last weekend. After dropping a five-set battle to the host Hawks, the Bears regrouped to claim a pair of four-set victories over Niagara and Bucknell behind senior outside/opposite hitter Sabrina Stillwell as she averaged 5.23 kills and 2.69 digs per set with a .321 hitting clip to earn all-tournament team honors. Stillwell, who was also named Ivy League Player of the Week on Monday, leads Brown in kills per set with an average of 4.92 and freshman defensive specialist Paris Winkler averages a team-best 3.71 digs per set.

Scouting the Wildcats – Bethune-Cookman, winners of four of its last six contests, make the short trip to DeLand with a 5-5 record on the year after capturing wins in three of four matches last weekend at the New Orleans Invitational. The Wildcats posted wins over Jackson State (3-2), Morgan State (3-2) and Prairie View A&M (3-0) while dropping a 3-0 decision to the host Privateers. B-CU is led by sophomore outside hitter Jordan Jefferson and senior middle blocker Meraiah Hill this season. Jefferson, who earned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Week honors this past Monday, is averaging team highs of 3.61 digs and 3.11 kills per set, while Hill has posted a team-best 41 total blocks (eight solo, 33 assisted) for an average of 1.21 per set to go along with being named the MEAC's Defensive Specialist of the Week recipient on Monday.

Scouting the Hatters – Stetson has produced a 6-3 season record coming into this weekend's invitational after posting a 2-1 mark at the Stephen F. Austin Invitational last weekend in Nacagdoches, Texas. The Hatters earned a 3-2 win over St. John's and defeated Grambling State by a 3-1 margin before having their three-game winning streak snapped with a four-set loss to the host Lumberjacks. Junior outside hitter Eva Deisa is averaging 3.00 kills per set to lead Stetson while also being tied for the team lead in service aces with junior defensive specialist Chelsie Spence at nine. Senior middle blocker Hao Jin has posted team highs of 42 total blocks (nine solo, 33 assisted – 1.14 bps) and a .348 hitting percentage, and junior setter Emily Destaffino is dishing out an average of 10.18 assists a set.

WAC Leader – Klavitter ranks first among the WAC dig leaders with an average of 5.29 per set which also ranks her 27th in the current NCAA Division I national standings.

CSU's Double Stack – The Cougars have produced 13 double-doubles so far this season with Dela Cruz and junior outside hitter Beatriz Palmieri (Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil/Professora Carlina Cacapava de Mello) each recording a team-high five apiece. Other players posting double-doubles this season are Adams (two) and senior setter Ludmila Bomfim (Belo-Horizonte Minas Gerais, Brazil/Escola Estadual Pedro II) (one).

Gaining a Grand – Klavitter enters the weekend with 1,060 digs in her collegiate career to become the second CSU player to record 1,000 career digs in the school's Division I era. She achieved this feat during the third set against Georgia State in Atlanta last Saturday and is the only active player in the WAC with more than 1,000 digs. Klavitter is 255 digs away from surpassing Mysta Townsell's (2010-13) D-I school-record total of 1,314.

Up Next – Chicago State heads to the northwest next week to open WAC play on Sept. 20 with a road contest at Utah Valley beginning at 8 p.m., central time.

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Players Mentioned

#6 Lacee Adams: S; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#11 Ludmila Bomfim: S; 5' 9"; Senior

#8 Lauryn Dela Cruz: OH; 5' 8"; Senior

#4 Megan Klavitter: L/DS; 5' 3"; Junior

#7 Beatriz Palmieri: OH; 5' 11"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#6 Lacee Adams
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: S

#11 Ludmila Bomfim
: 5' 9"; Senior
: S

#8 Lauryn Dela Cruz
: 5' 8"; Senior
: OH

#4 Megan Klavitter
: 5' 3"; Junior
: L/DS

#7 Beatriz Palmieri
: 5' 11"; Junior
: OH

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned