Oct. 15, 2010
Box Score
Box Score in PDF Format 
CLEVELAND - The UIC volleyball team got off to a solid start by capturing the first set against the Cleveland State Vikings on Friday night, but they were unable to sustain the momentum and lost the next three to fall on the road, 3-1 (21-25, 26-24, 25-19, 25-22).
The Flames (9-12, 4-5 Horizon League) came out swinging and outlasted the Vikings (16-2, 7-2 Horizon League) in the first set, 25-21. With the match tied at 20, UIC's Kelsey Safranek put down a kill to to give her team a lead that they would not relinquish.
The second set was another tightly contested affair. After Cleveland State raced to a 4-0 start, UIC head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley burned a timeout which seemed to slow the Vikings momentum. The Flames went on a quick run of their own to tie the set at six following an ace by freshman MaryKate Imrie.The set would go on to feature 15 tie scores and eight lead changes before the home team emerged with a 26-24 win.
The Vikings took control of the third set following a 9-1 run when the Flames held an early 7-6 lead. Jessica Dalke pulled UIC to within one point at 20-19 following a service ace, but that was as close they would come as Cleveland State went on a five-point run to close it out.
The fourth was another back-and-forth matter. After falling behind early once again, the Flames rallied to tie the set at nine apiece after an ace by Nicole Allgood. Later, the Flames trailed by one, 23-22, when a controversial call went against UIC to give Cleveland State the point. An error on the next play by the Flames subsequently gave the Vikings the conference victory.
"It was a great match," said Schumacher-Cawley. "We got a total team effort and everyone on the team did something to contribute tonight. We just gave up too many strings of points at different times and it's a shame we couldn't pull it off."
Safranek and Dalke each finished with a double-double in the match. Safranek had 14 kills and a career-high 18 digs, while Dalke's double-double was her sixth in as a many matches. The senior captain handed out 43 assists and recorded 12 digs.
Libero Taylor Szatkowski also played well in the back row, collecting 16 digs in the contest. Epiphany Davis and Janise Dismuke had double-digit kills for the Flames with 10 and 12, respectively.
The Flames will be right back on the court Saturday afternoon when they take on the Youngstown State Penguins at 1 p.m.
"We have our hands full again tomorrow," said Schumacher-Cawley. "We need to continue to play well tomorrow. Youngstown State is a tough team and we need to be prepared for another good fight."
Saturday's contest can be seen live on the Horizon League Network.
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Fans wishing to learn more about affordable and flexible UIC ticket plans are encouraged to call 312-413-UIC1 or visit www.uicflames.com and click on the "Tickets" tab on the Flames home page.
