OREM, Utah — An evening after the team's first-ever WAC Tournament victory, the fifth-seeded Chicago State volleyball squad fell to No. 1 New Mexico State in three sets.
Last night, the Cougars made the program's debut in the WAC Tournament with a bang, sweeping No. 4 UTRGV, 3-0.
"This will become the norm for Chicago State volleyball for years to come," head coach Tanio Trifonov said. I love the challenge of being in this conference and having to play hard for every single match."
Friday, however, the first-seeded Aggies ended Chicago State's postseason run, winning the match, 25-18, 25-16, 25-17.
In the first set, New Mexico State opened with a 4-2 run in spite of Chicago State kills from Nailah Jones and Yanlis Feliz, who posted a team-high 13 kills last night. The Cougars then won back-to-back points on two more Jones slams to even the first-set score at 4-4.
The two squads, who also battled in Chicago on March 22 and 23, then dueled to an 8-8 tie before New Mexico State reeled off four consecutive points, highlighted by a Victoria Barrett ace. The Aggies maintained at least a two-point lead until kills from Berenice Almeyda and Jones pulled Chicago State to within a point at 16-15.
That was the closest the gap would stand, however, as the high-flying Aggies later ballooned their lead to 20-16 on a Carly Aigner-Swesey ace. The Cougars got kills from Feliz and Maria Lopez Torres Tapia down the stretch, but New Mexico State won the first set, 25-18.
The Cougars then came out firing in the second set, winning three of the first four points on two Feliz kills. Feliz and Jones continued to carry the Chicago State offense, as the Cougars led, 6-4, after 10 points. New Mexico State briskly tied it up, then pulled away, winning a slew of rallies to force a Chicago State timeout at 13-9, Aggies.
Almeyda and Feliz kept Chicago State within three points, managing an effective attack, but New Mexico State's outside hitters, Barrett and Preseason WAC Player of the Year Savannah Davison, continued to dominate. The Aggies led 18-15 before rattling off five consecutive points, punctuated by a Jordan George serve.
New Mexico State's hot close gave the Aggies the second set, 25-16.
Set three belonged to the Cougars early on. Feliz, Jones and Mesalina Severino clinched three consecutive points to bring the score to 3-1 Chicago State. The Cougars' middle blockers, Severino and Almeyda then rattled off back-to-back kills and Chicago State stayed even, tying the score at 7.
After a New Mexico State error, Jones registered a service ace to lift the Cougars ahead, 9-7. An Almeyda kill later kept Chicago State in the driver's seat, 10-9, before the Aggies rattled off six of eight points to take a 15-12 lead before a timeout.
Behind its dominant outside attack, New Mexico State controlled the remainder of the set. Davison polished in a kill from the center of the court to clinch a 25-17 set three, and match, win.
Feliz led Chicago State with 11 kills, and Almeyda tacked on 10. Andrea Calderon's 12 digs powered Chicago State's defense.
The Cougars wrap up the season 1-9, etching their name in the program's record books as the first to earn a WAC Tournament win.
"People didn't know what to expect with a new coach and a team lacking some positions," Trifonov said. "I don't think people were taking us seriously enough in the beginning."
Almeyda finished the regular season as the WAC's leader in hitting percentage, .419, with Feliz finishing second in kills per set (3.73).
"We got better and more competitive as we played," Trifonov said. "We're still recruiting, and we'll get some really good players for the fall. I hope that we're just in the beginning stages of building this program into something special."
