CHICAGO, Ill. — The Chicago State volleyball team put together a determined effort on Saturday afternoon inside the Jacoby Dickens Center, showing grit and improvement throughout a 3–0 setback to Fairleigh Dickinson (25–20, 25–17, 25–23).
The Cougars came out strong in the opening frame, trading points early and keeping the Knights on their heels thanks to quick offensive execution and steady passing.
Jocelyn Carter powered the attack with a team-high
10 kills, hitting an impressive
.381 on the day. She found consistent rhythm alongside
setter Leah Linares Castro, who dished out
11 assists and added
16 digs on the defensive side.
Zeynep Ertam turned in a standout performance with
seven kills and a
.355 hitting percentage, providing key energy for the Cougars at the net.
Nayella George also chipped in
six kills and three blocks, helping Chicago State hold its own against one of the NEC's top teams.
Defensively, libero
Alyssa Ferreira anchored the back row with
11 digs, while
Vasiliki Dagre and
Graci Littlejohn each contributed solid minutes off the bench to keep momentum alive.
Chicago State showed its strongest push in the third set, rallying late to pull within one at 24–23 before FDU narrowly closed out the frame.
The Cougars (0–18, 0–8 NEC) will continue their homestand next week as they look to build on Saturday's performance with continued consistency and energy.
