Sept. 14, 2011

Final Stats

VALPARAISO, Ind. - The UIC volleyball team fell in a 3-0 decision (25-21, 25-19, 25-13) to Valparaiso in the conference opener Wednesday at the Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso, Ind. Junior Kelsey Safranek (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) hammered down 10 kills and picked up 10 digs.

The Flames (6-4) were unable to catch their momentum in the Horizon League opening match against Valparaiso (8-4) as the UIC squad fell in straight sets.

In the first set, the two teams exchanged points through the match, producing a tie score on several different occasions. The squads were tied at 20-20, before the Crusaders went on a four-point run and eventually claimed the set in a 25-21 outcome.

Moving into the second set, the Flames improved their number of kills to 25, in comparison to 14 in the first. Safranek and redshirt junior Nicole Allgood (Crestwood, Ky./South Oldham) both hammered down six a piece, while Allgood led the squad in hitting percentage at a clip of .353. Despite the success, UIC dropped 25-19 and the Crusaders earned a 2-0 lead in the match.

In the final set, the Flames went on a three-point run early in the set, but with the squad in a seven-point deficit, the Crusaders capitalized on their opportunity and claimed a 25-13 victory in the set to win the match 3-0.

The Flames return to action Friday at 7:00 p.m. (CT) in a match against Northern Illinois. Fans can follow at home with live stats and an in-match live blog, both can be found at UICFlames.com.