Oct. 16, 2009
Box Score
MILWAUKEE - In a match decided by extra points and necessitated all five sets, the UIC volleyball team fell to Milwaukee, 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 21-25, 27-25, 15-17) on Friday night at the Klotsche Center.
Lana Lobdell paced the Flames (10-12, 5-4 Horizon) with a 17 kill evening, and Jessica Dalke dished out a career-high 55 assists against the Panthers (6-14, 3-6 Horizon).
UIC opened up the inaugural set with a five-point lead at 20-15 behind the five-kill efforts from Lobdell and Sullivan. Milwaukee closed within two at 20-18, but the Flames closed out the set with three successive kills and a pair of attack errors, courtesy the Panthers.
The second and third sets played out in similar fashion as Milwaukee produced sizable leads that the Flames were unable to overcome. UIC shrunk its deficit in the second set to two late in the game, but were thwarted by the Panthers Jena Berg, who had the matches lone double-double of the evening with 16 kills and 22 digs.
After lulls in the previous two sets, the Flames kept the fourth set at a very even pace, matching the Panthers point-for-point throughout. After Milwaukee knotted the set at 25 apiece, junior Epiphany Davis slammed back-to-back kills down to send the game to a winner take all fifth set.
The Flames had the advantage in the fifth set at 14-13, but would be unable to close things out as Milwaukee's Kerri Schuh and Kellye Zaporski picked up kills in the criticial final portion of the match. Back-to-back errors sealed the Flames fate, and Zaporski's final kill closed out the match in the home team's favor.
"I thought we fought hard, played well on the defensive end and worked well as a team," said head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. "We had opportunities to finish but too many errors. And now we prepare for Green Bay."
The Flames will look to return to their winning ways tomorrow in Green Bay with a 4 p.m. contest with the Phoenix. Saturday's contest will be available for viewing on the Horizon League Network.
