CHICAGO, Ill. – After earning its first win of the season last weekend at the Wildcat Classic, the Pacific volleyball team travels east for the second-straight weekend, returning to Illinois to compete in the Windy City Invitational starting on Thursday, Sept. 1, at Chicago State.
On the first day of competition at the Wildcat Classic, the Tigers (1-2) earned a straight-set victory over Northeastern, tallying the first win of the season. Led by Alexa Edwards' 52 kills throughout the tournament, the team won five of the 11 sets, including a 25-18, 25-19, 25-23 victory over the Huskies. After the first weekend of play, Edwards leads the West Coast Conference in kills and has registered 4.73 kills per set, ranking first in the conference. The junior from Sacramento, Calif., was also named to the Wildcat Classic All-Tournament Team for her offensive efforts during the weekend.
Jenna Heller recorded a team-high 115 assists this past weekend, registering 10.45 assists per set, ranking third best in the West Coast Conference to begin the season. Heller is one of three players in the conference to tally 100 or more assists in the season's first three matches. The sophomore from Gilbert, Ariz., leads the team in digs with 32 and ranks second on the team with 2.91 digs per set.
The Tigers begin the second week of the season on Thursday, Sept. 1, facing off against Chicago State for the first time in program history. The Cougars (1-2) dropped two-straight matches to begin the season, falling to Jacksonville State and Indiana, before defeating Indiana State in four sets to wrap up the Indiana Invitational last weekend. The team is led offensively by Yanlis Feliz, who has registered 55 kills in the team's first three matches of the season.
Pacific will follow its matchup with Chicago State with first-ever meetings against UIC and Eastern Illinois. The Tigers will take on the Flames (2-1) on Friday, Sept. 2, and finish the weekend by taking on the Panthers (2-1) on Saturday, Sept. 3.
UIC is led by a balanced offensive attack that registered 152 kills through the season's first three matches. Martina Delucchi leads the team with 50 kills, while Mikala Henderson and Becca Oldendorf have tallied 25 and 27 kills, respectively.
Eastern Illinois finished a three-match weekend at the Butler Top Dawg Tournament to start the season, earning two straight victories over Akron and Oakland. The Panthers have five players that have recorded 10 or more kills to start the season, led by Giovana Larregui-Lopez's 47. Along with a strong group of outside hitters and middle blockers, the Panthers have three players that have tallied at least 25 assists to start the season. Catalina Rochaix, the Panthers' starting setter, has accumulated 50 assists this season.
"We have another opportunity to compete against three good teams and continue to grow, learn, and reach our goals," Head Coach Greg Gibbons stated regarding the three-match weekend slate.
For more information about the 2022 season and future events, follow Pacific volleyball on social media and download the Pacific Athletics mobile app to keep up with news regarding your favorite Pacific Tiger teams.
