WEST HAVEN, Conn. — The Chicago State women's volleyball team season came to an end as the Cougars lost to New Haven 3-0 (26-28, 17-25, 15-25) in Northeast Conference play on Saturday (Nov. 14) at The Hazell Center. 

The Cougars moved in front 2-0 on a Nina Mitchell kill and a block involving Camryn McCollum and Rayon Thigpen, but New Haven answered and built an 8-5 lead. Chicago State turned a 9-7 deficit into a 13-9 lead with Reece Mazzier serving, getting an ace from Mazzier, a Mitchell kill and three New Haven errors during the run. CSU led 18-13 before New Haven came back to tie the set at 18-18, later moving ahead 24-21. Mazzier helped the Cougars score four straight points for a 25-24 lead, including two service aces, but New Haven answered after Mitchell's kill put Chicago State up 26-25 and scored the final three points to take the set 28-26.

The second set stayed tight through 9-9, with CSU getting early kills from McCollum, Graci Littlejohn, Nayella George and Mitchell while New Haven answered each time. New Haven moved ahead with six straight points for a 15-9 lead, using a Lauren MacKellar kill, two Cougars attack errors, a block and a service ace. Chicago State got back within 15-12 on a New Haven service error, a New Haven attack error and Hailee Collins' ace, but New Haven rebuilt the margin and pushed the lead to 21-13. Mitchell and Jenesis Perrin added late kills for the Cougars, and New Haven closed the set with kills by Kira Lynch and MacKellar for a 25-17 finish.

CSU built a 10-5 lead in the third set behind an opening service ace from Kristine Bakhad, three kills from George, kills by Thigpen and Littlejohn, and aces from Thigpen and Mazzier. New Haven scored the next six points to move ahead 11-10, using a Caroline Johnston kill, a Lauren MacKellar kill, two Johnston aces and two Cougars attack errors before Mitchell's kill tied the set at 11-11. New Haven answered with five straight points for a 16-11 lead, and after Chicago State got back within 16-13, Marley Alefaio had three kills during another five-point New Haven stretch that made it 21-13. The Cougars added late points on a New Haven service error and a Littlejohn block, but New Haven took the final two points to close the set 25-15.

New Haven improves to 12-16 overall and 8-6 in NEC play while CSU finishes 1-25 overall and 1-13 in NEC play.