Nov. 5, 2014
Horizon League Statistics
Horizon League Standings
CHICAGO - The UIC volleyball team (12-14, 6-5 HL) begins a four-match homestand this weekend (Nov. 7-8). The Flames play host to first-place Oakland (16-9, 8-2 HL) Friday and eighth-place Wright State (4-20, 1-9 HL) Saturday.
UIC split its final road matches of the season last weekend (Oct. 31 - Nov. 1). The Flames fell in four sets at Youngstown State Friday night and defeated Cleveland State in five sets Saturday afternoon.
-
A LOOK AT OAKLAND
Nickname: Golden Grizzlies
Head Coach: Rob Beam (8th season)
2013 Record: 15-15, 9-5 HL
Preseason Poll: Picked 3rd
Series History: Tied 2-2
Last Meeting: UIC won 3-0 (Oct. 11, 2014 at Oakland) Streak: UIC won the last meeting
2014 Leader in: Kills - Melissa Deatsch (277 kills)
Assists - Ciara Schultz (974 assists)
Service Aces - Melissa Deatsch (28 aces)
Digs - Taylor Humm (411 digs)
Blocks - Amanda Baker (73 blocks)
A LOOK AT WRIGHT STATE Nickname: Raiders
Head Coach: Susan Clements (3rd season)
2013 Record: 6-26, 0-14 HL
Preseason Poll: Picked 8th
Series History: UIC leads 27-23
Last Meeting: UIC won 3-0 (Oct. 10, 2014 at WSU) Streak: UIC has won five straight
2014 Leader in: Kills - Katie Klusman (202 kills)
Assists - Maddie Lohmeier (779 assists)
Service Aces - Katie Klusman (13 aces)
Digs - Jessie Thornton (442 digs)
Blocks - Marisa Aiello (71 blocks)
UIC MATCH NOTES
YANCY'S FOURTH HORIZON LEAGUE WEEKLY AWARD
Junior Stephenee Yancy was named the Horizon League's "Offensive Player of the Week", her fourth weekly honor this season and third in four weeks. Yancy becomes the first player in program history to win four conference Player of the Week awards in a single season.
Yancy put down 48 kills over the weekend with a strong .430 attack percentage. She had 23 kills Friday night at Youngstown State and another 25 in the Saturday victory at Cleveland State. Yancy owns four 20-plus kill efforts over the last five matches. She has 104 kills and is averaging 5.47 kills per set with a .443 attack percentage over that span.
Yancy leads the Horizon League with a .373 attack percentage and 4.42 kills per set. She ranks eighth in the nation with 442 kills, 18th in kills per set and 49th in attack percentage. Yancy has put down double-digit kills in all 26 matches, owns seven 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 85 total blocks. During Horizon League play, Yancy is second amongst all conference players with 49 total blocks.
If the season ended today, Yancy would easily break UIC's single-season record for attack percentage. She is on pace to finish the season with over 500 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 is second in the nation with 1,170 assists and ranks fourth with 11.70 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 top two assists efforts during Horizon League play. She had 59 at Valparaiso (Oct. 17) and 56 assists at Cleveland State Saturday for her ninth 50-plus assist effort.
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 picked up her seventh double-double at Youngstown State Friday (46 assists, 15 digs) and leads the squad with 23 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 31 digs over the weekend, including 21 at Cleveland State, to increase her program-record total to 1,619. She is on pace to finish her career with over 1,670 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 set a season-high of 23 digs in the win over Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 12).
Strus, who set UIC's single-season record with 600 digs in 2012, owns 22 double-digit performances this season. She ranks eighth in the Horizon League with 3.69 digs per set and has four 20-plus dig efforts.
STERNARD CLIMBS THE KILLS CHART
Senior Sara Jo Sternard, a 2014 Preseason All-Horizon League Team selection, had 28 kills and 11 blocks over the weekend. She owns 993 career kills and needs seven 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 is ninth in the Horizon League in attack percentage (.273) and ranks second on UIC with 70 total blocks. During Horizon League play, Sternard ranks sixth in the conference with a .287 attack percentage.
Sternard's 13-kill performance against Chicago State on only 19 attempts with zero errors (.684 attack percentage) is the Horizon League's second most efficient. She has committed zero attack errors four times this season, most recently during Saturday's win at Cleveland State (17k-0e-29ta).
Sternard tied her career high with eight total blocks, including four solo blocks, at Cleveland State. She ranks sixth in program history with 78 solo blocks and ninth with 319 total blocks.
JOHNSON'S 11 DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Sophomore Kara Johnson owns a team-high 11 double-doubles and 15 double-doubles in her brief UIC career. Her last double-double came at Valparaiso (Oct. 17) when she had 17 kills and 12 digs.
Johnson ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 3.22 kills per set and second on UIC with 247 digs. She has put down double-digit kills in 20 contests.
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 fifth-highest performance in the Horizon League.
MCCOY'S DEFENSIVE SURGE
Senior Molly McCoy had 16 kills and 17 digs over the weekend. She owns four double-digit dig performances over her last eight matches. McCoy is averaging 2.52 digs per set over the last eight contests after 0.63 per set in the first 18 matches of the season.
McCoy owns seven double-digit kill efforts and ranks fourth on the squad with 220 kills. She is on pace to finish her career with over 730 kills.
HARRIS' STRONG RETURN FROM INJURY
Sophomore Casey Harris had seven kills and nine blocks over the weekend, including a season-high six blocks at Youngstown State. Due to injury, Harris played in only five sets over the first 16 matches of the season.
However, Harris has started the last ten contests and collected 31 total blocks. She has also put down 49 kills over that span.
HORIZON LEAGUE RANKINGS
As a team, UIC ranks second in the Horizon League in kills and assists. The Flames are averaging 13.03 assists on 13.92 kills per set. On the other side of the net, UIC leads the conference by limiting opponents to 11.95 digs per set and ranks second by holding opponents to 11.53 assists per set.
2014 STATISTICAL IMPROVEMENTS
The 2014 UIC Flames have shown statistical improvements over the 2013 squad. The Flames are hitting 71 points higher (.221 - .150) and putting down over two more kills per set (13.92 - 11.89). UIC ranks 30th nationally with 13.92 kills per set and 31st with 13.03 assists per set. Additionally, UIC's NCAA RPI ranking has improved by 72 spots (194 - 266).
