Chicago, IL — As LIU women's volleyball aimed to defend its 2023 NEC championship, the team suffered a semifinals loss to number-one seeded Chicago State by a score of 3-1 on Friday.
 
The spirited match between the two sides began with the Sharks starting off strong out the gate, with a 29-27 win in the first set.
 
Iremnur Elmas, who finished with 6 kills and 8 digs, respectively, steadied her team early on with multiple kills and aces in the first set alone. She rose to the occasion with the pivotal kill that ultimately gave LIU the early 1-0 lead.
 
Chicago State won the next two sets, but the Sharks put up quite the fight in set number four, keeping the opponent on its toes throughout. LIU cut a ten-point deficit to as few as three before the Cougars came away with the 3-1 match win.
 
Camelia Melendez (18 kills) and Alasha Colon (25 digs) led the Sharks in the aforementioned respective categories, with each 2024 Northeast Conference Women's Volleyball First Team All-Conference member tallying their highest marks since LIU's Nov. 2 victory over Mercyhurst.