Nov. 14, 2009
Box Score
CHICAGO - The UIC volleyball team was unable to cap off the regular season with a victory, falling to Loyola in five (20-25, 25-13, 30-28, 25-19, 11-15) on Saturday afternoon.
The Flames (15-17, 8-8) and their city rival Ramblers (5-11 Horizon) opened the afternoon fighting for point after point. Neither team would hold more than a two point advantage over the other until Loyola went on a three point killing streak to take a 22-19 lead before closing out set one with a 25-20 win.
UIC came back in set two with a higher level of intensity, holding a 16-6 kill advantage over Loyola and breezed through to even the match at a set apiece. Kelsey Safranek tallied eight of her 18 kills of the match in the second set, the lone set that saw the Flames hold the Ramblers to a negative attack percentage.
Set three had UIC up by as many as six when UIC put up 11 straight points and had a 15-9 advantage in the set's early stages, but the Ramblers would chip away and break things even at 17-17 before both sides began battling for each point. Neither team could capitalize on the first of four set points before Loyola's Natalie Pounovich put down two kills for the Ramblers' 30-28 win.
The Flames played a clean fourth set, committing only two errors to their 16 kills for a 25-19 equalizing set win.
In the deciding set, both teams stayed point-for-point with each other before the Flames inched out to an 11-9 lead. The Ramblers, however, were eager for payback after UIC defeated them earlier in the season in Rogers Park, and closed out the match with six-straight points for a 15-11 spoiler win.
"I thought the team played really well," said head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. "There were errors here and there, but I think we will be hungry in the opening round at the [Horizon League] tournament next week."
Casie Sullivan posted a match-high 21 kills, while Jessica Dalke nabbed 57 assists and a team-leading 24 digs to close out the regular season for the Flames.
Prior to the start of the match, seniors Lana Lobdell and Emily Schaffer were honored in part of the senior day festivities.
The Flames will now await their opponent for the upcoming Horizon League tournament, held November 20-22 by the regular-season champion.
