The Valparaiso University volleyball team stepped out of Horizon League play Tuesday evening with a short trip to Chicago State, coming away with a 3-0 (25-14, 27-25, 25-16) sweep of the Cougars.

How It Happened

• The Crusaders dominated CSU offensively in the first set Tuesday night, posting 15 kills on a sparkling .560 hitting clip. Valpo never trailed in the opener and pulled away late, scoring 12 of the set’s final 16 points.
• Chicago State led 12-11 approaching the midway point of the second set, but Valpo scored five straight points to seemingly take the lead for good. Following three straight points later in the set, the Crusaders looked poised to go up 2-0 as they led 24-18.
• But the Cougars fought off all six Valpo set point chances, and in fact earned their own at 25-24 to cap a 7-0 run. A Katherine Carlson (Lake Orion, Mich./Notre Dame Prep) kill kept the set alive, and another Carlson kill gave Valpo the lead at 26-25 before a CSU attack error closed the set in the Crusaders’ favor.
• Valpo scored the first five points of the third set to quickly take control. CSU closed to within three points at multiple stages past the midway mark of the set, the latest coming at 18-15, but the Crusaders finished out the match with a 7-1 run to conclude the sweep.

Inside the Match

• Senior Jamie Lacheta (Warsaw, Ind./Warsaw) set a new career high on Tuesday, finishing the sweep with 13 kills while hitting at a robust .409 clip.
• Carlson tied Lacheta for match-high honors with 13 kills, while senior Emily Campbell (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) chipped in 10 kills.
• As a team, the Crusaders hit .327 on the attack on Tuesday – the program’s best single-match attack percentage of the season.
• Senior Tarrah Lasky (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) returned to action for the first time since Oct. 1 and handed out 16 assists.
• In a modified version of the 6-2 offense, Lasky set from the back row, while when her position rotated to the front row, she would sub out and libero Morganne Longoria (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) would pick up the role of primary setter.
• Longoria finished with 16 assists as well and also added 12 digs for her third consecutive double-double after entering last week with no career double-doubles.
• Senior Rachel Bruinsma (New Era, Mich./Western Michigan Christian) was in on four of the Crusaders’ five team blocks.
• Valparaiso has now won 44 consecutive matchups against Chicago State dating back to 1985.

Next Up

The Crusaders (10-14) return to Horizon League competition at home at the ARC this weekend, hosting Wright State Friday evening at 6 p.m. Live stats will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.