Set to embark on year two, the 2021 season marks head coach
Tony Trifonov's second as head coach of the Cougars and, despite playing through a COVID-shortened season, Chicago State made history with its first-ever Western Athletic Conference Tournament victory, a 3-0 sweep of No. 4 UTRGV. This year's squad will look to capitalize on that late-season momentum going into 2021.
The Chicago State volleyball team will start its season Friday, August 27 against Bellarmine in the four-team Eastern Illinois University volleyball tournament. The Cougars will face IUPUI and tournament host EIU on Saturday, August 28 to get the 2021 season underway.
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Trifonov on the first-ever win in the WAC Tournament:
"I think it was a little bittersweet because it was our first win of the season. I wasn't used to that, it was difficult in the beginning, with eight or nine losses in a row. Obviously, it was a great accomplishment for the program to make it to the WAC Tournament and to get a win. And to beat a really good team in UTRGV. We're hoping we'll have a little bit more success this year in the beginning of the season."
On what word best describes last year's season:
"Resiliency is probably the best word to describe those kids last year. It was a very difficult situation, especially playing without a key position, a setter. It was difficult in the beginning to train somebody to play that position in such a short amount of time and to gel with the team. The kids did a great job, really, really working hard and working their butts off to get to that point to be successful in a good conference like the WAC, in the postseason."
More from head coach Tony Trifonov
Key Returners
Mesalina Severino, Redshirt Sophomore, Middle Blocker
Berenice Almeyda, Redshirt Freshman, Middle Blocker
Yanlis Feliz, Redshirt Sophomore, Outside Hitter
"We're not looking at it as top returners and top players. We're looking at it more as a team effort. We have 14 players on the roster and each one of them is equally important to us. That's how we're approaching it and we're excited to get preseason practice under way. It's a very short amount of time to get ready for the first tournament. I'm really, really pleased with the kid's effort so far and having to adopt quickly to a new environment and a new coaching staff.
On the identity of this year's team:
"We still haven't found it. We're still looking for that identity. I think it's going to be well into the second or third tournament that we know what the identity is."
On hosting the Windy City Classic, September 3-4 (tickets here)
"I think it's great exposure for our program. We're able to bring in some good teams here. It's going to be an annual event, so it's going to happen every year. We're shooting for that second week of each season. We're bringing in North Dakota State, Niagara and UNC-Charlotte. All three are really good teams from good conferences. We're looking to be challenged early in the season so we can get prepared for our WAC schedule. It's going to be great for our fans to come our early in the season and see some exciting Chicago State volleyball and see what we're all about and hopefully they'll come out in great numbers."
When asked to describe this year team by comparing it to a type of food, Trifonov said…
"I had it for lunch yesterday at the cafeteria. Jambalaya. It has a lot of ingredients, spice. It's about coming together to a unison taste and but it also has some attitude to it, and spice."
One thing that intrigues Trifonov about this year's team:
"I'm intrigued to see how much of a sense of normalcy we'll have with everything going on. We haven't played a 'normal' season in two years now. It's going to be interesting for me to see how our players respond after such a long break. Last year was a very short season, and out of the ordinary, and with different rules and different restrictions on us. It was difficult to play without the fans and that's what volleyball is about, getting the fans excited, getting them involved, getting them to change momentum, use their energy, so it's going to be fun."
