HUNTINGTON, W.Va - The UIC volleyball team (0-1) opened the 2014 season with a 3-1 loss (25-20, 24-26, 25-18, 25-23) to Virginia (1-0) Friday night at Marshall's Thunder Invitational. The Flames won a long second set by outhitting the Cavaliers 14-11 and collecting three total blocks.
Sophomore
Kara Johnson led UIC with 18 kills on a match-high 47 attempts. She had eight kills on 19 attempts in the second set and five kills on 11 attempts in the fourth. Johnson, who put down 304 kills as a freshman in 2013, has posted six consecutive double-digit kill efforts dating back to last season. She already owns 16 double-digit performances in her brief UIC career.
Junior transfer Stephenee Yancy, who spent the last two seasons with Western Michigan, put down 13 kills on 30 attempts in her UIC debut. She had four kills in both the third and fourth sets while adding a solo block in the second set.
Another impressive UIC debut came from redshirt freshman
Nicole Johnson, who dished out 35 assists and recorded five kills on six attempts. She also added six digs and a service ace in her first collegiate match after sitting out her first season on campus.
True freshman Allie O'Reilly impressed with a match-high 16 digs and two service aces in her collegiate debut. O'Reilly had six digs in the second set and both aces in the third frame.
Senior Maggie Strus and redshirt junior Tracy Friel both compiled 11 digs for UIC. Strus owns 1,261 career digs and passed Kathy Bay (1981-84) into sixth place in program history. She needs 271 more digs this season to become UIC's all-time dig leader.
UIC led 15-14 in the first set following a Yancy kill but allowed Virginia to score four consecutive points to take control of the frame. The second set was tied at 24-24 before a Sara Jo Sternard kill and Virginia attack error allowed the Flames to tie the match at 1-1.
The Flames led the third set 18-16 after a kill by
Kara Johnson but Virginia scored the next nine points to go up 2-1. The final set was tied 10-10 before a 6-0 Virginia run allowed the Cavaliers to pull away for good. UIC narrowed the UVA lead to one at 24-23 before a kill by Jasmine Burton ended the match.
UIC continues play at the Thunder Invitational Saturday (Aug. 30) with two matches. The Flames take on host Marshall (0-1) at 10 am CT before concluding play in West Virginia with a 4 pm CT matchup against Eastern Michigan (1-0).
