Sept. 2, 2000

Box Score

Chicago, Ill. - The UIC volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to edge Indiana State in a five-game thriller, then swept Youngstown State in three games to claim the title in the 2000 UIC Wilson Volleyball Invitational held Friday and Saturday at UIC Pavilion.

"It was a good tournament with quality teams," Head Coach Don August remarked of the two-day round-robin event. "After watching Indiana State play yesterday, we figured that would be the key match for us. We fell behind 2-0, but we got a big lift from Amy Zabojnik and several others and were able to come back."

Teaha Shepperd who led the tournament with 51 kills while also totaling 45 digs and 16 blocks, was named the Wilson Invitational MVP. Fellow Flames Lynn Clarkson and Jill Greer earned spots on the all-tournament team.

Shepperd keyed the Flames' comeback over Indiana State as she led the team with 24 kills while also posting 16 digs and six blocks. She followed that performance up with her third double-double of the tournament as she tabbed 12 kills and 13 digs against Youngstown State.

The Sycamore's (2-1) Cheryl Berg did her best to counter Shepperd's attack, posting 20 kills and 25 digs in defeat.

Both Greer and Clarkson stepped up to help push the Flames past Youngstown State (1-2) in the tournament night-cap. They each totaled 10 kills with hitting percentages at .500 or better while Greer shut the door on the Penguins late with nine blocks, including six in the final game.

With the pair of victories, the Flames remained undefeated (3-0) on the season. It's UIC's best start to a campaign since 1995, when they also opened the year 3-0.

UIC will look to extend its winning streak to four on Tuesday, Sept. 5, when they welcome Fairfield University to the UIC Pavilion at 7:00 p.m.

2000 UIC Wilson Volleyball Invitational

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Friday, September 1

Indiana State def. Youngstown State 3-0
(15-7, 15-1, 16-14)
UIC def. Southeastern Louisiana 3-1
(12-15, 15-8, 15-7, 15-4)
Saturday, September 2, 2000
UIC def. Indiana State 3-2
(12-15, 13-15, 15-8, 15-5, 15-13)
Youngstown State def. Southeastern Louisiana 3-2
(15-6, 6-15, 15-6, 10-15, 15-7)
Indiana State def. Southeastern Louisiana 3-0
(15-3, 15-10, 15-1)
UIC def. Youngstown State 3-0
(15-9, 15-11, 15-9)

FINAL STANDINGS

UIC             3-0 Tournament Champions
Indiana State       2-1 Tournament Runner-up
Youngstown State    1-2
Southeastern Louisiana  0-3

TOURNAMENT MVP
Teaha Shepperd (UIC)

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Jill Greer (UIC)
Lynn Clarkson (UIC)
Megan Mirs (Indiana State)
Cheryl Berg (Indiana State)
Kristin Meech (Youngstown State)
Jenni Cool (Southeastern Louisiana)