Sept. 10, 2010
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The UIC volleyball team settled for a split at the Best Western Invitational after dropping its nightcap to Chattanooga, 3-1 (10-25, 25-20, 20-25, 17-25).
The Flames (3-4) never got into a great rhythm on Friday evening, committing 22 attacking errors over the course of the match. Chattanooga (2-7), meanwhile, committed only 12 attacking errors and hit at a clip of .329 (59-12-143).
"I'm disappointed, very disappointed" said head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. "We wasted way too many opportunities to win tonight. We gave away too many chances."
The opening set was all Chattanooga. The Flames lacked the energy they opened with in the first match of the day and they fell behind 10-4 and never had a chance, falling behind by as many as 16 points before dropping the set, 25-10.
The Flames rebounded in the second set, winning 25-20. It was very much a back-and-forth affair with the two squads trading points much of the way. With the set tied at 20 and senior Jessica Dalk serving, UIC went on a strong five-point run to finish the set with the help of a pair of kills by redshirt sophomore Janise Dismuke.
The blueprint in the third was more of the same with Chattanooga finishing the set on a four-point streak to bury UIC, 25-20.
The final frame was troubled from the start when the Flames found themselves trailing, 10-4 in the early going. UIC would get no closer than five points the rest of the night as the Mocs cruised to a 25-17 set victory and a 3-1 match win.
Dismuke led the Flames with 14 kills in the afternoon match and 29 total on the day. Kelsey Safranek added 10 kills, while Dalke led UIC with 39 assists. Three players recorded double-digit digs led by senior Taylor Szatkowski who chipped in with a team-high 17. Casie Sullivan and Justine Garcia had 10 apiece.
The Flames will wrap up their stint at the Best Western Invitational on Saturday with a pair of matches. UIC will face Troy at 2:00 p.m. CT and then participate in the tournament finale at 6:00 p.m. CT against the host school, the University of North Florida. UIC has never faced either program in school history.
If you can't make it to North Florida, don't worry because UICFlames.com will be providing a live in-game blog of all the action from Jacksonville.
Fans can listen to podcasts featuring exclusive interviews with UIC head coaches, staff and student-athletes for free on iTunes by searching "UIC Flames."
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.
