Sept. 26, 2009 - Volleyball
Maroons Win Two, Lose Two at Wheaton Invite

WHEATON, Ill. -- Led by all-tournament team selection, sophomore outside hitter Isis Smalls (Humble, Texas/ Atascocita), the University of Chicago volleyball team notched a 2-2 mark at the Wheaton (Ill.) College Invitational Friday and Saturday.

Chicago split two matches each day. In Friday's matches, the Maroons defeated Edgewood College (7-7) in three sets before falling to 14-1 North Central College in five. Chicago dropped a three-set match to 16th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (13-2) in Saturday's first match before closing out the tournament with a three-set decision over Rockford College (2-11).

Smalls led the Maroons (11-7) attack on the weekend, as she averaged 3.00 kills per set. Junior outside hitter Elizabeth Kossnar (Park Ridge, Ill./ Maine South) and sophomore outside hitter Colleen Belak (Louisville, Ky./ Presentation Academy) added 2.46 and 2.14 kills per set, respectively.

Freshman middle blocker Katie Trela (Glencoe, Ill./ Regina Dominican) collected 15 blocks (1.07 per set), while sophomore setter Lauren Tarpey (Greensboro, N.C./ Grimsley) finished the event with 11 blocks (0.79 per set) and 129 assists (9.21).

Chicago def. Edgewood 25-18, 25-15, 29-27 (Sept. 25)
Belak clubbed 11 kills, while freshman middle blocker Caroline Brander (River Forest, Ill./ Trinity) and Kossnar each hit nine. Tarpey (5) and Trela (4) combined for nine block assists.

North Central def. Chicago 25-16, 18-25, 17-25, 25-21, 15-7 (Sept. 25)
Smalls and Kossnar hit 17 and 10 kills, respectively, as the Maroons fell to the once-beaten Cardinals in five sets. Freshman libero Samantha Brown (Louisville, Ky./ Mercy Academy) logged 22 digs for her high total on the weekend. Brander and Trela were each credited with six blocks, while Tarpey added four to go along with 42 assists.

#16 Wis.-Eau Claire def. Chicago 25-19, 25-21, 25-13 (Sept. 26)
Belak finished with eight kills as the Maroons dropped their third match of the year to a top-25 foe.

Chicago def. Rockford (Sept. 26) 25-16, 25-12, 25-13 (Sept. 26)
The Maroons posted a .350 attack percentage en route to a three-game sweep over the Regents in the tournament finale. Smalls hit nine kills in 12 attempts, while Trela collected seven kills on 12 swings.

Chicago returns home Thursday, Oct. 1 to take on Benedictine University at 7 p.m.

Match Statistics vs. Edgewood
Match Statistics vs. North Central
Match Statistics vs. Wis.-Eau Claire
Match Statistics vs. Rockford