Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
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Chicago State
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Eagles Split a Pair of Friday Matches in Chicago
9/10/2021 10:30:00 PM | Volleyball
EMU defeats UIC; falls to Chicago State to start UIC Invitational
PHOTO GALLERY: vs. Chicago State. vs. UIC.
CHICAGO, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team split a pair of matches tonight, Sept. 10, at the Flames Athletic Center to start the UIC Invitational.
The Eagles fell to Chicago State (19-25, 17-25, 10-25) in three sets in the afternoon match and defeated the University of Illinois Chicago (19-25, 25-17, 25-23, 26-24) in four sets in the night cap.
The split brings Eastern's overall record to 3-4 on the season.
MATCH ONE (vs. Chicago State)
Game Notes
» Redshirt sophomore Raeven Chase (Toronto, Ontario, Canada-Michael Power St. Joseph Catholic) finished with 10 kills on the day to lead the Eagles offense while finishing with a hitting percentage of .421. EMU got seven digs from freshman Bella Hommes (Grand Rapids, Mich.-Forest Hills Northern) to lead them defensively.
» Freshman Annie Lockett (Mason, Ohio-Mason) had a match-high three aces in the loss.
» Chase had a team-high 10 kills for Eastern Michigan.
» Eastern Michigan got a team-high seven digs from Hommes.
» Eastern Michigan attackers were helped by a team-high 24 assists from sophomore Jayden Otto (Crystal Lake, Ill.-Prairie Ridge).
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Eagles fell behind early, dropping a tough first set 25-19. Eastern Michigan trailed by as many as eight points as Chicago State never surrendered the lead in a set that was tied up four times before the Cougars took control.
SET 2 | Eastern Michigan dropped set two 25-17, digging a 2-0 deficit in the match. Eastern Michigan trailed by as many as eight points as Chicago State grabbed the advantage for good at 7-6 in a set that was tied up three times before the Cougars took over the lead.
SET 3 | Eastern Michigan couldn't prolong the match and lost in set number three. The Eagles dropped the first point and never clawed back into the lead before losing the set 25-10.
MATCH TWO (vs. UIC)
Game Notes
» Eastern Michigan had three players in double figures in kills.
» The Eagles offense was paced by sophomore Samantha Basham (Granville, Ohio-Newark Catholic), who finished with 14 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .324
» Freshman Madeline Timmerman (Crystal Lake, Ill.-Central) had a team-high three aces in the win.
» Lockett added 12 kills and Chase chipped in with 10 kills as part of a balanced Eastern Michigan attack.
» EMU had two players reach double figures in digs as sophomore Kamryn Stilwell (Parma, Ohio-Padua Franciscan) had 17 and Otto had 14.
» Eastern Michigan never trailed on the way to winning the second set 25-17.
» Eastern Michigan never trailed on the way to winning the fourth set 26-24.
» Basham had a team-high 14 kills for Eastern Michigan.
» Eastern Michigan got a team-high 17 digs from Stilwell.
» Eastern Michigan attackers were helped by a match-high 37 assists from Otto.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Eagles found themselves in an early deficit, dropping a tough first set 25-19. Eastern Michigan trailed by as many as six points as UIC grabbed the advantage for good at 14-13 in a set that was tied up seven times before the Flames took over in the second half of the stanza.
SET 2 | Eastern Michigan responded to pick up a 25-17 victory in set two, evening the match at one set apiece. The Eagles led from the first point on in the set to earn the victory. Eastern Michigan opened up as much as an eight-point lead at 23-15 before finishing off the set.
SET 3 | Eastern Michigan took a 2-1 match lead after defeating the Flames in the third set. The Eagles took the lead for good at 14-13 in a set that showcased two lead changes before Eastern Michigan took over in the second half of the stanza. They then carried that lead to a 25-23 set win.
SET 4 | Eastern Michigan closed out the match with a 26-24 fourth-set victory, winning their third set in a row. The Eagles took a 1-0 lead and never looked back in the set to earn the victory. Eastern Michigan opened up as much as a four-point lead at 10-6 before closing out the stanza, totaling 15 kills in the process. Eastern Michigan got a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked four UIC attacks in the stanza.
UP NEXT
The Eagles finish the weekend at the UIC Invitational with a match against Belmont tomorrow, Sept. 11. First serve is set for 1 p.m. EDT.
