Oct. 22, 2014
Horizon League Statistics
Horizon League Standings
CHICAGO - The UIC volleyball team (10-12, 4-3 HL) returns home this weekend (Oct. 24-25) to start the second half of conference play. The Flames play host to Green Bay (3-15, 1-6 HL) Friday and Milwaukee (11-10, 5-2 HL) Saturday.
UIC has won three consecutive Horizon League contests and sits in fourth place in the conference standings. Earlier this season, UIC fell at Milwaukee in four sets on Sept. 26 before a sweep at Green Bay on Sept. 27.
A LOOK AT GREEN BAY
Nickname: Phoenix
Head Coach: Sean Burdette (1st season)
2013 Record: 14-14, 9-5 HL
Preseason Poll: Picked 5th
Series History: UIC leads 35-18
Last Meeting: UIC won 3-0 (Sept. 27, 2014 at UWGB)
Streak: UIC won the last meeting
2014 Leader in:
Kills - Taylor Kasal (182 kills)
Assists - Emily Riese (600 assists)
Service Aces - Taylor Kasal (14 aces)
Digs - Jillian Bauer (322 digs)
Blocks - Megan Powers (54 blocks)
A LOOK AT MILWAUKEE
Nickname: Panthers
Head Coach: Susie Johnson (8th season)
2013 Record: 18-11, 12-2 HL (lost to Wisconsin in first round of NCAA Tournament)
Preseason Poll: Picked 1st
Series History: UWM leads 41-18
Last Meeting: UWM won 3-1 (Sept. 26, 2014 at UWM)
Streak: UWM has won three straight
2014 Leader in:
Kills - Julie Kolinske (292 kills)
Assists - Kayla Price (660 assists)
Service Aces - Taylor Golabowski (23 aces)
Digs - Taylor Golabowski (303 digs)
Blocks - Kaisa Mattson (64 blocks)
UIC MATCH NOTES
YANCY'S TWO STRAIGHT HL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
Junior Stephenee Yancy was named the Horizon League's "Offensive Player of the Week" for the period of Oct. 13-19, it was announced by the conference office Monday morning. The accolade is Yancy's third weekly honor this season and second in a row after earning "Co-Offensive Player of the Week" honors on Oct. 13.
Yancy was dominant as UIC concluded the first half of Horizon League play with a 3-1 victory at Valparaiso Friday night. She put down a match-high 25 kills on 45 attempts for a strong .422 attack percentage. Yancy's 25 kills are tied for the most in a Horizon League match this season.
Yancy, who spent the last two seasons with Western Michigan, leads the Horizon League with a .358 attack percentage and 4.27 kills per set. She ranks tenth in the nation with 363 kills and 26th in kills per set. Yancy has put down double-digit kills in all 22 matches, owns four 20-plus kill performances and has been named to three all-tournament teams.
Yancy has also been a strong presence at the net as she ranks ninth in the Horizon League with 72 total blocks. During Horizon League play, Yancy leads all conference players with 36 total blocks.
If the season ended today, Yancy would break UIC's single-season record for attack percentage. She is on pace to finish the season with over 490 kills, which would rank among the program's top 10 single-season efforts.
JOHNSON ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST SETTERS
Redshirt freshman Nicole Johnson has put up historic numbers in her first season as UIC's setter. She leads the nation with 995 assists and ranks fifth with 11.71 assists per set. Johnson is on pace to finish the season with over 1,350 assists, which would rank in the program's top 10 single-season efforts.
Johnson leads the Horizon League in assists and owns the League's top five assist performances. Johnson had 59 assists at Valparaiso for her eighth 50-plus assist effort. Her 59 assists against the Crusaders are the most in a Horizon League match this season.
Johnson's career-high of 67 assists against Western Illinois (Sept. 13) are the most by a UIC player since Katie Kozak had 68 against Youngstown State on Oct. 14, 2005. Johnson was named the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8 after averaging 56.33 assists per match at the Windy City Invitational.
Johnson also owns six double-doubles and ranks ninth in the Horizon League with 21 service aces. Johnson's four aces against East Carolina (Sept. 19) is the second best performance in the Horizon League.
STRUS A UIC PROGRAM RECORD HOLDER
Senior Maggie Strus compiled 13 digs at Valparaiso to add to her program-record total of 1,567. She is on pace to finish her career with over 1,680 career digs, which would rank tenth in the Horizon League's history.
Strus broke Carlyn Fisk's (1988-91) program record of 1,532 on Oct. 4 with 16 digs against Youngstown State. She ranks eighth in the Horizon League with 3.73 digs per set and has three 20-plus dig efforts.
Strus, who set UIC's single-season record with 600 digs in 2012, owns 18 double-digit performances this season. Strus' season-high of 23 digs in the win over Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 12) is the sixth-highest four-set effort in the Horizon League.
STERNARD CLIMBS THE KILLS CHART
Senior Sara Jo Sternard, a 2014 Preseason All-Horizon League Team selection, had eight kills at Valparaiso. She owns 953 career kills and needs 47 more to become the 16th member of UIC's 1,000 Kills Club. Sternard is on pace to finish with over 1,020 career kills.
Sternard ranks second on UIC in attack percentage (.264) and total blocks (54). She also ranks sixth in program history with 74 solo blocks and tenth with 303 total blocks. Her 13-kill performance against Chicago State on only 19 attempts with zero errors (.684 attack percentage) is the Horizon League's second most efficient.
JOHNSON'S 11 DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Sophomore Kara Johnson had 17 kills and 12 digs at Valparaiso to collect her team-high 11th double-double. She owns 15 double-doubles in her brief UIC career.
Johnson ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 3.28 kills per set and second on UIC with 219 digs. She has put down double-digit kills in 18 contests, including 16 against Youngstown State for the League's third-highest four set effort.
Johnson put down a career-high 23 kills to go along with 11 digs against Western Illinois (Sept. 13). Her 23 kills against WIU is the fourth-highest performance in the Horizon League.
MCCOY'S FOURTH DOUBLE-DIGIT DIG EFFORT
Senior Molly McCoy had nine kills and 13 digs at Valparaiso for her fourth career double-digit dig performance. She owns three double-digit dig performances over her last four matches. McCoy is averaging 3.29 digs per set over the last four contests after 0.63 per set in the first 18 contests of the season.
McCoy owns seven double-digit kill efforts and ranks third on the squad with 194 kills. She is on pace to finish her career with over 740 kills.
HARRIS' STRONG RETURN FROM INJURY
Sophomore Casey Harris had nine kills and three blocks at Valparaiso for her fourth three-block effort. Due to injury, Harris played in only five sets over the first 16 matches of the season.
However, Harris has started the last six contests and collected 14 total blocks. She has also put down 34 kills on a .218 attack percentage over that span.
HORIZON LEAGUE RANKINGS
As a team, UIC leads the Horizon League in kills and assists. The Flames are averaging 13.13 assists on 13.94 kills per set. On the other side of the net, UIC leads the conference by limiting opponents to 12.02 digs and 11.46 assists per set.
2014 STATISTICAL IMPROVEMENTS
The 2014 UIC Flames have shown statistical improvements over the 2013 squad. The Flames are hitting 69 points higher (.219 - .150) and putting down over two more kills per set (13.94 - 11.89). UIC ranks 24th in the nation with 13.13 assists per set and 28th with 13.94 kills per set.
UIC is limiting opponents to a .226 attack percentage, 12 points lower than 2013 (.238). The Flames are also averaging one more dig per set (14.52 - 13.44).
