CHICAGO, Ill. — The Chicago State volleyball team turned in a gritty performance Friday evening at the Emil and Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center, taking a set off visiting Fairleigh Dickinson before falling 3–1 (25–13, 25–18, 24–26, 25–21).
The Cougars showed strong fight throughout the match, highlighted by a thrilling third set in which they outlasted the Knights in extra points, 26–24, behind timely kills and clutch serving.
Zeynep Ertam led the attack for Chicago State with a team-high 13 kills, while also adding three aces and solid play from the service line. Nayella George added 10 kills and a block, providing consistent production at the net. Setter Leah Linares Castro contributed across the board with 27 assists, nine digs, and a pair of aces.
Defensively, Alyssa Ferreira anchored the back row with a match-best 19 digs, while Vasiliki Dagre chipped in eight digs, six kills, and two service aces to energize the Cougar side.
After dropping the opening two sets, the Cougars found their rhythm in the third frame, using a balanced offensive attack and strong blocking presence to take control late and secure the win in front of the home crowd. Chicago State carried that momentum into the fourth, pushing FDU deep into the set before the Knights narrowly closed it out.
Chicago State (0–17, 0–7 NEC) returns to action tomorrow to close out the series against FDU. First serve is set for 1 p.m. inside Jacoby Dickens Center.
