Chicago State Set to Play at No. 1 Louisville in the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship

The Chicago State volleyball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and are set to play at Louisville on Friday, December 6 in a four-team pod which includes Illinois and No. 8 Northern Iowa. The Cougars will face the No. 1 seed and overall No. 4 seed Louisville on Friday at 6 p.m. and Illinois will play No. 8 Northern Iowa at 3 p.m. The winners of those matches advance to play Sunday, December 8.

The Cougars are one of 31 teams which earned automatic bids into this year's tournament, joining 33 at-large selections to round out the single-elimination, 64-team field. 

"Advancing to the NCAA tournament proves that hard work pays off," Chicago State head coach Tony Trifonov said. "It is definitely rewarding for our students, coaches and staff. The objective has always been to compete at the highest level for as long as possible. The NCAA Tournament provides an opportunity for us to do just that. It will be an unforgettable experience for our students-athletes, a memory that will last a lifetime. And to us, that's what it is all about."

Chicago State was dominate in the Northeast Conference this season, compiling a 13-1 regular season record which earned CSU the opportunity to host the conference tournament where the Cougars beat LIU 3-1 and swept FDU 3-0 to gain the NEC's automatic bid. They won 10 matches by sweeping their opponent 3-0 and won 45 out of 54 games played in conference competition this season. Head coach Tony Trifonov was named NEC Coach of the Year. Sophomore Patrycja Lagida was named NEC Player of the Year, NEC First Team All-Conference and NEC Tournament MVP. Sophomore Wiktoria Zagumny was named NEC Setter of the Year, NEC First Team All-Conference and named to the NEC All-Tournament Team. 

Joining Lagida and Zagumny on the NEC First Team All-Conference squad were teammates Julieta Sandez and Andrea Calderon, who also was named to the NEC All-Tournament team, while Berenice Almeyda and Karly Klaer were named NEC Second Team All-Conference.

About Chicago State Athletics
Chicago State University sponsors 16 Division I intercollegiate athletic teams and competes in the Northeast Conference with the exception of men's and women's tennis who will compete in the Horizon League during the 2024-25 season. CSU's athletic program includes over 150 student-athletes that compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, triathlon and volleyball. 
 
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