SEATTLE, Wash. — Chicago State University volleyball officially opened the 2026 season with three matches at the Seattle U Tournament, facing host Seattle University, Eastern Washington and North Dakota over the three-day event at the Redhawk Center.
The Cougars (0-3) showed areas of improvement throughout the opening weekend, particularly at the net and from the service line, while several student-athletes produced strong individual performances.
Chicago State opened the regular season Friday against tournament host Seattle U, falling in three sets, 25-12, 25-21 and 25-15.
The Cougars turned in their strongest performance in the second set, recording nine kills and battling the Redhawks before falling 25-21.
Nina Mitchell led Chicago State offensively with five kills while adding an ace and two block assists.
Nayella George and
Kristine Bakhad each contributed three kills. George also recorded two service aces and four digs.
Bakhad directed the offense with nine assists and hit .400 for the match, while
Reece Mazzier led the defensive effort with six digs.
Chicago State found success at the net, finishing with five total blocks compared to four for Seattle U.
Gracilove Littlejohn led the Cougars with four block contributions, including one solo block.
The Cougars returned to action Saturday against Eastern Washington and continued to show improvement despite falling 25-9, 25-17 and 25-16.
Chicago State produced its best offensive set of the tournament to that point in the third, registering 12 kills while hitting .135.
Littlejohn paced the Cougars with six kills and added three block contributions.
Camryn McCollum followed with five kills, while Mitchell recorded three kills and a team-high two service aces.
Bakhad finished with 17 assists to direct the Chicago State offense, and Mazzier reached double figures defensively with a team-leading 11 digs. George added eight digs.
The Cougars once again held an advantage at the net, finishing with five total blocks compared to Eastern Washington's four.
Chicago State closed the tournament Sunday against North Dakota, falling 25-12, 25-20 and 25-15.
The Cougars put together their strongest offensive performance in the second set, recording nine kills and hitting .200 while staying within striking distance before North Dakota closed out the frame.
George delivered her best offensive performance of the weekend with a team-high seven kills while adding five digs. McCollum recorded five kills, while Littlejohn added three.
Chicago State was aggressive from the service line, finishing with six aces. Mitchell and McCollum accounted for all six with three apiece.
Bakhad registered 14 assists, while Mazzier again led the Cougars defensively with six digs. Littlejohn contributed two block assists.
Several Cougars established themselves during the opening weekend. Bakhad served as the primary facilitator and totaled 40 assists across the three matches, including a weekend-high 17 against Eastern Washington.
Mazzier led Chicago State defensively in digs in all three matches, including 11 against Eastern Washington. Littlejohn provided a consistent presence at the net, while George, Mitchell and McCollum each made contributions offensively and from the service line.
The Cougars also showed progress from the service line throughout the tournament, going from three aces against Seattle U to four against Eastern Washington and six against North Dakota.
Chicago State continues its early-season tournament schedule with three matches at the Omaha Tournament, Sept. 3-5 in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Cougars will open the tournament against Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 3 p.m. CT, followed by Western Michigan on Friday, Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. CT. Chicago State closes the weekend against tournament host Omaha on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 1:30 p.m. CT.
For the latest information on Chicago State volleyball, visit GoCSUCougars.com.
