Oct. 11, 2010
Box Score
Box Score in PDF Format 
CHICAGO - While striving for back-to-back home wins for the first time this season, the UIC volleyball team came up short on Monday night, falling in tightly contested affair to the Eastern Illinois Panthers, 3-0 (23-25, 26-28, 25-27).
The Flames (9-11) fought tooth-and-nail all night losing all three sets by a combined six points. UIC collected more kills (51 to 49), assists (50 to 44) and digs (46 to 42) than the Panthers (10-10), but they also committed more errors (24 to 15) and had fewer blocks (13 to nine).
The first set was extremely competitive with a match-high 14 tie scores and five lead changes taking place. With things knotted at 22 near the end of the frame, the Flames committed an attacking error that handed the Panthers a lead they would fail to surrender, going on to take the first set 25-23.
In the second set, UIC led 23-20 after Aubrey Sniegowski put down one of her match-high-tying 15 kills on a feed from Jessica Dalke. Panthers head coach Kate Price called a timeout and following the break her team rattled off three straight points topped by a kill from Erin Hake to tie the set at 23 apiece.
The two teams traded scores up until it was knotted at 26 and the Flames committed consecutive attacking errors to hand the Panthers a 28-26 victory.
With their backs up against the wall, UIC came out firing in the third set and built a sizable nine-point advantage at 19-10 after a kill by Kate Eldred who was inserted into the lineup by head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley.
Suddenly the Panthers got hot once again and went on ferocious 17-6 run to close out the Flames on their home floor, winning the third set, 27-25.
"Too many times we lost our focus out there," said UIC head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. "We need to fight for every single point we get and to do that we need to remain focused at all times. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do that tonight."
Schumacher-Cawley knows that if her team retains its focus and edge, that they are right near where they need to be with 10 matches remaining on the schedule.
"We need to continue to work as a team for everything," said Schumacher-Cawley. "We need to work as one to achieve our ultimate goals."
Sniegowski (15) and Kelsey Safranek (14) registered double-digit kills for UIC, while Dalke notched her fifth consecutive double-double with 47 assists and 11 digs in the match.
Alex Zwetter had a double-double to lead the Panthers with 15 kills 15 digs in the match. Chrissie Albers had a team-high 40 assists for Eastern Illinois.
Eldred finished with two kills and a career-high two blocks for the Flames on Monday.
"Aubrey [Sniegowski] continued to play great out there," said Schumacher-Cawley. "She's really making the most of her opportunities and playing very well right now."
The redshirt freshman finished with career highs in both kills (15) and points (16.5). Sniegowski had three blocks, five digs and had a hitting percentage of .423 (15-4-26) for the match.
UIC will now set out on a four-match road trip that will begin on Friday night with a contest at Cleveland State at 6 p.m. CT. The Vikings got the best of the Flames in their first meeting this season, downing UIC in straight sets in Chicago on Sept. 18.
On Saturday, the Flames will travel to Youngstown State to face the Penguins at 1 p.m. CT. UIC swept Youngstown State, 3-0, in the first meeting between the two teams this season on Sept. 17 in Chicago.
"We've got to get back in the gym and begin preparing for tough teams in Cleveland State and Youngstown State," said Schumacher-Cawley. "We have to learn from these last couple non-conference matches and use them to prepare for the second half of the Horizon League schedule which begins this weekend."
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