Oct. 5, 2010
Box Score
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CHICAGO - For the first 10 minutes they looked unbeatable, but following the fast start the UIC volleyball team sputtered on Tuesday night, dropping a Horizon League match to the visiting Milwaukee Panthers, 3-1 (19-25, 25-12, 25-14, 26-24).
The Flames (8-9, 3-4 Horizon League) came storming out of the gate and built up an early 12-4 advantage in the first set following a tandem block by Janise Dismuke and Kelsey Safranek. That play prompted Milwaukee (9-7, 6-0 Horizon League) head coach Susie Johnson to burn her second timeout of the frame. Momentum shifted and suddenly the match was tied at 16 minutes later following a kill by the Panthers Natalie Schmitting. UIC's Casie Sullivan answered right back with a kill of her own and the Flames would go on to claim set one, 25-19.
In set two, it was Milwaukee that charged out to an early lead, building a 9-2 advantage following an attacking error by UIC. Unfortunately for the Flames, they never got close in the second, falling behind by as many as 12 points before ultimately losing, 25-12.
"Our serve receive really fell apart after the quick start," said UIC head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley.
The third set was déjà vu for the Flames. UIC earned the first point of the set, but the Panthers rattled off nine straight after that until Nicole Allgood recorded to kill to stop the bleeding. The hole had already been dug and the Flames fell behind by double-digits for the second straight set before succumbing 25-14.
"We lost focus tonight," said Katie Schumacher-Cawley after the match. "We have to maintain focus for every single point and we failed to do that."
Schumacher-Cawley's bunch began to regain that focus slightly in the middle of the fourth set, but by then it appeared to be too late. The Flames fell behind early again before roaring back to tie the set at 18 apiece following another kill by Sullivan, who led her team with 14 on the evening. The I-94 rivals fought back and forth until they were squared up at 24, but a service error by the Flames and a kill by Milwaukee's Rachel Neuberger sealed the victory for the visiting Panthers.
UIC struggled on the attack all night long, posting a mark of .071 (47-37-141) for the match. In sets two and three, that number dipped all the way down to negative .014. Sullivan led the Flames 14 kills in 40 attempts, while Dismuke chipped in with nine kills and four blocks on Tuesday.
Conversely, Milwaukee continued to display dominating defense in league play by collecting 13 blocks to UIC's seven and 47 digs to the Flames 39.
UIC's Jessica Dalke earned her fifth double-double of the season on Tuesday by handing out a match-high 42 assists to go along with 10 digs.
The Flames will not be able to dwell on the defeat for very long as they will be right back in action on Wednesday night at the Physical Education Building when Green Bay (6-12, 2-3 Horizon League) comes to Chicago for another stern Horizon League test at 7 p.m.
"We have to move on from this one quick," said Schumacher-Cawley. "Green Bay is playing well right now and we have to be ready for another tough challenge."
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