CHICAGO, Ill. – The Purple Eagles (2-3) fell to Chicago State, 3-0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-16), and Charlotte, 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-20), on the first day of the Windy City Classic on Friday.
Match 1 Recap
First Set
- Chicago State got ahead, 4-1, but the Purple Eagles scored three straight points, including a kill from Jessica Streuer and an ace from Amanda Darling, to tie the score, 4-4.
- The Cougars went on a 5-0 run to get back ahead, 9-4.
- Kills from Laryssa Imbuzeiro and Allie Simpson brought NU within three, 9-6, but CSU scored six straight points to extend its lead, 15-6.
- The Purple Eagles scored six more points in the set, including four kills from Jaycie Roberts.
Second Set
- CSU jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the second set, but kills from Roberts and Cassie Seminoff brought Niagara within two points, 6-4.
- Kills from Roberts and Jenna Vogen put Niagara within one point of the lead, 7-6, but the Cougars remained ahead and soon took a 21-13 lead.
- The Purple Eagles scored five straight points, capped on both ends by kills from Vogen, to come back within three points of the Cougars, 21-18.
- The Cougars, however, allowed NU only one more point and won the second set, 25-19, to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Third Set
- The Purple Eagles got out to a 4-2 lead in the third set and two kills from Roberts kept NU ahead, 7-4.
- Niagara led, 8-5, when the Cougars went on a 5-0 run to take the lead, 10-8.
- Back-to-back kills from Seminoff tied things up, 10-10.
- Chicago State took a five-point lead, 20-15, but a kill from Imbuzeiro put Niagara within four, 20-16.
- The Cougars, however, scored five straight points to close out the set and win the match.
Eagle's Eye On
- Roberts led the team in kills with 11. She also had two aces.
- Darling had a team-best 10 digs and also added two aces.
- Streuer had a team-high nine aces and Casey Brown added seven.
Match 2 Recap
First Set
- The Purple Eagles and the 49ers traded points in the first set and, trailing by just two, 12-10, NU went on a 3-0 run, including kills from Roberts, Seminoff and Mary Redl, to take the lead, 13-12.
- The 49ers answered with four straight points to get back ahead, 16-13, but a kill from Seminoff kept NU within two, 16-14.
- Charlotte went on a another 4-0 run to extend its lead over the Purple Eagles, 20-14. Niagara scored three more points in the set, but the 49ers took a 1-0 match advantage.
Second Set
- The 49ers took a 9-4 lead over the Purple Eagles, but a Charlotte error and a kill from Allen out Niagara within three points of the lead, 9-6.
- With the 49ers leading 13-8, kills from Redl, Imbuzeiro, Roberts and Lexi Bapst left NU trailing by just one point, 13-12.
- Still down by just one point, 15-14, Charlotte scored four straight points to extend its lead to five, 19-14.
- Allen and Bapst each added one more kill for the Purple Eagles but the 49ers took the second set, 25-18.
Third Set
- The Purple Eagles and the 49ers went back and forth in the third set and were tied, 9-9, before the 49ers scored three straight points to take the lead, 12-9.
- Charlotte extended its lead, 15-10, but kills from Redl and Allen put NU down by just three points, 15-12.
- Trailing by five, 17-12, three points from NU, including a kill from Sammie Sabra, put Niagara within two points of the 49ers, 17-15.
- The 49ers got back ahead by five, 20-15, but Niagara crept back within three points of the lead, 17-20, after a Vogen kill and a Charlotte attack error.
- Charlotte, however, held onto the lead and won the match in straight sets.
Eagle's Eye On
- Allen and Vogen led the team in kills with five each.
- Darling and Roberts shared the team lead in digs with eight each.
- Streuer led the team in assists with nine and Brown had eight.
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles close out the Windy City Classic with a match against North Dakota State on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
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