CHICAGO — The Chicago State women's volleyball team lost to Le Moyne 3-1 on Saturday (Oct, 24) in Northeast Conference play. The Cougars rallied from 21-24 to a 26-25 lead in the opening set and won it 28-26 before dropping the final three sets 19-25, 21-25 and 16-25.

CSU trailed 5-3 in the opening set before Hailee Collins' service ace and a Le Moyne attack error tied it, and after Nina Salas evened the score at 6-6, the Cougars won five straight rallies behind kills from Nina Mitchell, Nayella George and Jenesis Perrin, a Mitchell ace and another George kill for an 11-6 lead. Le Moyne worked back through the middle of the set, drawing even at 18-18 and moving in front 21-20 on a Jazmin Rodriguez kill before a block by Rayon Thigpen and George tied it again at 21-21. Le Moyne then scored three straight points to reach set point at 24-21, but Chicago State answered with a service error, back-to-back Mitchell kills from Reece Mazzier and an attack error to take a 25-24 lead. After Le Moyne twice tied the score, Mitchell put CSU back in front at 27-26 and Camryn McCollum served an ace to close the set 28-26.

The Cougars traded points with Le Moyne early in the second set, using kills from Thigpen and George before Le Moyne moved ahead 8-4 behind a Nina Salas ace, a Branwyn Lupton kill and a CSU attack error. After Kristine Bakhad's ace brought Chicago State within 10-7, Le Moyne scored the next five points, including two Katie Barbour aces, to build a 15-7 lead. The Cougars worked back into the set with a McCollum kill, multiple blocks involving George, Graci Littlejohn and Perrin, and a Littlejohn kill that cut the deficit to 18-17 before a Le Moyne service error and attack error tied it at 19-19. Le Moyne answered with the final six points, getting an Alise Evans ace and a Salas kill before a Jazmin Rodriguez-Eiley Schneider block closed the set 25-19.

Le Moyne put the Cougars in an early hole by scoring the first four points and later moving ahead 11-4 after consecutive CSU attack errors. Chicago State worked back from 12-6 to 12-10 with George serving, getting two McCollum kills, a Mitchell kill and a Le Moyne attack error. After Le Moyne pushed back to 17-13, a Mitchell kill began a four-point CSU run that tied the set at 17-17 on Emeli Muagututi'a's ace, and George followed a Le Moyne point with back-to-back kills for a 19-18 lead. The teams traded points to 21-21 before Le Moyne scored the final four points, including two Eiley Schneider kills, to take the set 25-21.

Le Moyne built a 6-1 lead in the fourth set, but the Cougars worked back with kills from McCollum, George, Littlejohn, Perrin and Mitchell to pull within 10-9. Le Moyne answered with 12 straight points, as Katie Barbour served through a stretch that included kills by Branwyn Lupton, Gabriella Schemidt, Eiley Schneider, Nina Salas and Avery Stromberg to move the visitors ahead 22-9. After a Stromberg kill made it 23-10, CSU put together five consecutive points behind blocks involving George, Thigpen, Littlejohn and McCollum and a Littlejohn kill, but Le Moyne finished the set on Alise Evans' kill for a 25-16 score.

Up Next
Chicago State visits FDU on Friday, Oct. 30, at 5 p.m. CT in Teaneck, New Jersey.