DEKALB, Ill. – The Fairleigh Dickinson volleyball team suffered a 3-0 setback to SIU Edwardsville in their final match of the weekend at the NIU Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Knights (0-3) fell in straight sets 25-18, 25-20, 25-17 to the Cougars (2-1), who registered a .257 attack percentage and held the Burgundy and Blue to a .110 rate.
 
Junior outside hitter Victoria Demmene paced the Knights with seven kills, while classmate McKenna Setterlund dished out 17 assists in the loss. At the conclusion of the Invitational, freshman hitter Mujay Mambu was named to the All-Tournament Team. Mambu racked up double-digit kills in each of the Knights' first two outings.
 
Rachel McDonald was the lone player to reach double-digit kills in the match as she totaled 12 for the Cougars in the win.
 
After falling behind 13-8 in the opening set, the Knights recorded three points, including a pair of kills Demmene and junior outside Magdalena Maksimovic. The Cougars quelled the momentum and eventually established a 22-15 cushion en route to the win.
 
The Knights saw the Cougars net the first six points of the second set before Mambu ended the drought with a kill. Later in the set, consecutive kills by Demmene and Brooke Stevens would help the Knights claw to within one, 12-11, however, the Cougars would not relinquish the lead. A 5-0 spurt by the Cougars followed and they would hold on for the five-point victory.
 
The third and final frame saw the Knights fall behind 12-4 before scoring nine of the next 13 points. Trailing 16-13, they would fail to gain any ground as the Cougars pulled away and closed out the sweep.
 
The Burgundy and Blue are back in action next weekend when they welcome Morgan State, NJIT and Quinnipiac to the Rothman Center for the Knights Fall Classic. First serve is set for 5:30 p.m. on Friday, September 6.