Sept. 18, 2010
Box Score
CHICAGO - The UIC volleyball team entered the gym on Saturday afternoon looking to hand visiting Cleveland State its first loss of the season, but when all was said and done, it was the Vikings who emerged victorious, 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-16).
The Flames (6-5, 1-1 Horizon League) were out of sync from the start and fell behind early in the first set 4-0 following three attacking errors and seemed unable to dig out of the early hole. The Vikings (10-0, 1-0) never trailed inside the UIC Physical Education Building on Saturday.
The closest UIC would come was in the third set when they were trailing 9-6. Back-to-back kills by Epiphany Davis and Kelsey Safranek for the Flames tied the score at nine, but following a timeout and a UIC service error, the Vikings grabbed the lead for good.
"I don't think we did one skill well today," said UIC head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley of her team's effort. "We were too sloppy and didn't play well as a team together. Cleveland State is undefeated for a reason and we have to work hard for every point."
Senior Jessica Dalke echoed her head coach's sentiments after the game.
"We know what we have to do now," said Dalke. "This was a test for us and we know what we have to do when we get to the gym on Monday to improve.
"The bar has been set and that's what we have to beat if we want to win conference."
Cleveland State's Amy Benz led all players with 13 kills, while Safranek notched nine to lead the Flames. Dalke added a team-high 22 assists, while the Vikings Jordan Goad led all players with 31.
The Flames will have a quick turnaround before they continue their five-match homestand on Tuesday evening when they step out of Horizon League play to welcome the Evansville Purple Aces to Chicago at 7:00 p.m. The match will be held at the UIC Physical Education Building and will begin at 7:00 p.m. If you can't make it to see the Flames in person, the match will be shown live on the Horizon League Network at www.horizonleague.com.
