Nov. 7, 2014
Box Score
CHICAGO - The UIC volleyball team (12-15, 6-6 HL) won the first set but could not overcome 16 Oakland blocks in a 3-1 loss (14-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-21) to the Golden Grizzlies Friday night. Oakland (17-9, 9-2 HL) remains in first place while UIC sits in fifth place with two Horizon League matches remaining.
Junior Stephenee Yancy, the reigning Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week, extended her double-digit kill streak to 27 contests with a match-high 18 kills on 33 attempts for a .394 attack percentage. She had six kills in both the second and third sets.
Redshirt freshman Nicole Johnson, who ranks second in the nation with 1,204 assists, dished out 34 assists and compiled six digs. She also put down a season-high six kills on eight attempts with zero errors.
Redshirt senior Maggie Strus compiled 16 digs for her sixth consecutive double-digit effort and increased her program-record total to 1,635. She also recorded her fourth service ace in the fourth set.
Senior Sara Jo Sternard set a career high with four aces and collected a team-high three total blocks. She also had three kills to increase her career total to 996 kills. Sternard needs four more kills to become the 16th member of UIC's 1,000 Kills Club.
Sophomore Kara Johnson had 11 kills and 10 digs to collect her team-high 12th double-double. Johnson, who had five kills in the second set, has put down double-digit kills in 21 contests.
Senior Molly McCoy had 11 kills for her eighth double-digit kill effort while freshman Allie O'Reilly compiled 10 digs for her eighth double-digit dig performance. McCoy's last double-digit kill match was Oct. 4 against Youngstown State while O'Reilly last collected double-figure digs Oct. 17 at Valparaiso.
UIC jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the first set and never trailed in a 25-14 victory. The Flames hit at a .375 clip and held Oakland to eight kills.
The second set featured 12 ties and five lead changes. UIC led 21-17 following Kara Johnson's third kill of the set and Oakland called a timeout. The Golden Grizzlies responded with a 5-0 run that included three kills from Cassie Pelloni.
UIC regained the lead at 24-23 after Johnson's fifth kill of the frame. However, Oakland used two Jessica Dood kills and a dual block to tie the match at 1-1.
A block by Kara Johnson and Sternard tied the third set at 7-7 but Oakland pulled ahead on a 3-0 run with Sammy Condon serving. The Golden Grizzlies, who had seven blocks in the third set, never relinquished their lead and led 2-1 after a 25-21 win.
Oakland again used a strong block to go ahead 20-16 in the fourth set before UIC rallied back with Kara Johnson serving. McCoy's fourth kill of the set tied the score at 20-20 but the Golden Grizzlies responded with a 3-0 run to distance themselves from the Flames. Oakland had six team blocks during the fourth set.
UIC seeks a season sweep of eighth-place Wright State (4-21, 1-10 HL) Saturday afternoon (Nov. 8). First serve is set for 4 pm inside the Flames Athletic Center. The Flames swept the Raiders on Oct. 10 in Dayton, Ohio.
