EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — Chicago St. lost to NIU 3-0 on Friday, falling 9-25, 11-25, 17-25. CSU was held to 16 kills and a -.067 hitting percentage, while NIU finished with 38 kills and hit .380.
NIU put the Cougars in an early 8-0 hole in the first set, getting two kills from Katie Pahl, one from Ava Grevengoed and three Delaney Steers service aces before a Pahl attack error gave CSU its first point at 8-1.
Nayella George and Graci Littlejohn added kills for Chicago State to make it 9-2 and 10-3, but NIU moved ahead 14-3 with kills from Autumn Flynn, Delaney Steers and Flynn again around a CSU setting error. After NIU pushed the margin to 19-5 on a Rylea Alvin kill, a Viktoria Djukic ace and a Pahl kill, the Cougars took the next two points on a NIU service error and a Djukic bad set to make it 19-7. NIU allowed only two more CSU points, a service error and a
Camryn McCollum kill, and finished the set with a Pahl kill and a Grevengoed kill for a 25-9 score.
CSU trailed 6-3 in the second set before a NIU service error started a five-point stretch, with
Kristine Bakhad contributing a block and
Skye Riley serving an ace to put the Cougars ahead 8-6. NIU answered with six straight points to move in front 12-8, including a service ace by Viktoria Djukic and a kill by Katie Pahl. After Littlejohn's kill made it 19-10, NIU pushed to set point behind a Lilly Abney kill, consecutive Charlotte Gramzow aces and a block by Abney and Autumn Flynn, then closed the set 25-11.
Chicago State moved in front 4-1 early in the third set as Bakhad put down two kills and
Nina Mitchell added another. NIU answered after trailing 5-2, taking six straight points behind two Ava Grevengoed kills and two CSU attack errors to move ahead 8-5. The Cougars worked back within 10-9 on kills by McCollum and George, then later cut the margin to 14-12 on an NIU attack error and a Bakhad kill. NIU pushed the set back out from there, using a Grevengoed kill, a block by Autumn Flynn and Viktoria Djukic, a Delaney Steers kill and a Flynn ace during the closing stretch before Katie Pahl ended the set at 25-17.
Bakhad led CSU with four kills, nine assists and five points, adding five digs and a solo block. Riley collected a team-high seven digs and recorded the Cougars' service ace.
Hailee Collins added five assists and four digs.
Up next, CSU volleyball team will face SIUE on Friday, Sept. 11, at 7:30 p.m.
