Sept. 10, 2014

UIC INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

CHICAGO - The UIC volleyball team (2-5) is set to host the UIC Invitational this weekend (Sept. 12-13). Over two days, UIC will entertain Indiana, Eastern Kentucky, Buffalo and Western Illinois at the Flames Athletic Center.

A LOOK AT INDIANA
Nickname: Hoosiers
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan (8th season)
2013 Record: 9-22, 1-19 Big Ten
Series History: IU leads 2-0
Last Meeting: IU won 3-0 (Sept. 5, 2009 at IU Adidas Classic)
Streak: IU has won two straight
2014 Leader in:
Kills - Morgan Leach (79 kills)
Assists - Megan Tallman (276 assists)
Service Aces - Taylor Lebo (18 aces)
Digs - Courtney Harnish (119 digs)
Blocks - Awele Nwaeze (28 blocks)

A LOOK AT EASTERN KENTUCKY
Nickname: Colonels
Conference: Ohio Valley
Head Coach: Lori Duncan (17th season)
2013 Record: 18-16, 9-7 OVC
Series History: UIC leads 1-0
Last Meeting: UIC won 3-1 (Sept. 6, 1996 at Carolina Classic)
2014 Leader in:
Kills - Alexis Plagens (114 kills)
Assists - Abbey Cvelbar (322 assists)
Service Aces - Dena Ott (9 aces)
Digs - Dena Ott (135 digs)
Blocks - Ciera Koons (22 blocks)

A LOOK AT BUFFALO
Nickname: Bulls
Conference: Mid-American
Head Coach: Reed Sunahara (1st season)
2013 Record: 18-12, 6-10 MAC
Series History: UIC leads 1-0
Last Meeting: UIC won 3-0 (Sept. 6, 2002 at UIC Invitational)
2014 Leader in:
Kills - Tahleia Bishop (96 kills)
Assists - Megan Lin (153 assists)
Service Aces - Megan Lipski (12 aces)
Digs - Niki Bozinoski (101 digs)
Blocks - Amber Hatchett (22 blocks)

A LOOK AT WESTERN ILLINOIS
Nickname: Fighting Leathernecks
Conference: Summit League
Head Coach: April Hall (3rd season)
2013 Record: 12-18, 6-8 Summit League
Series History: UIC leads 15-11
Last Meeting: WIU won 3-0 (Sept. 13, 2013 at Hawkeye Challenge)
Streak: WIU won the last meeting
2014 Leader in:
Kills - Peyton Crosser (80 kills)
Assists - Samantha Fournier (149 assists)
Service Aces - Jordan Jackson (7 aces)
Digs - Molly Murphy (119 digs)
Blocks - Jordan Jackson (25 blocks)

UIC MATCH NOTES

JOHNSON LEADS THE NATION IN ASSISTS
Redshirt freshman Nicole Johnson has put up historic numbers in her first seven matches as UIC's setter. She leads the nation with 11.73 assists per set and is hitting at an impressive .500 clip (11k-2e-18ta) at the net.

Johnson recorded her third double-double against Illinois State with 21 assists and 14 digs. Prior to the ISU match, she was named the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week. Johnson averaged a stellar 15.36 assists per set at the Windy City Invitational as the Flames won two of their three matches.

Johnson's 65 assists in four sets against Syracuse are the most since MaryKate Imrie had 65 in a five-set win over Marshall on Sept. 6, 2013. Johnson also had 60 assists in the four-set win over DePaul. In 2013, there were only three matches where a Horizon League player reached the 60-assist mark and all three of those instances occurred in five-set matches.

YANCY NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Junior middle blocker Stephenee Yancy, who spent the last two seasons with Western Michigan, broke out in a big way at the Windy City Invitational. Yancy was named to the All-Tournament Team after 57 kills on 99 attempts for a .404 attack percentage and 11 total blocks.

Yancy continued her strong play at Illinois State with a match-high 12 kills on 21 attempts for a .476 attack percentage. Over the last three matches, she is averaging 5.27 kills per set and hitting at a .416 attack percentage.

Yancy has started her UIC career with seven consecutive double-digit kill performances. She is putting down a team-high 4.00 kills per set this season and hitting at a .340 clip. In the Horizon League, Yancy ranks third in both kills per set and attack percentage. Her 27 kills against DePaul are the most of any player in the League this season.

STRUS SEEKS PROGRAM RECORD
Senior Maggie Strus leads UIC with 97 digs and owns 1,347 in her career, which ranks sixth in program history. She needs 16 more digs to pass Ilene O'Connell (1982-85) for fifth place in program history.

Strus, who set UIC's single-season record with 600 digs in 2012, needs 185 more digs to become UIC's all-time dig leader. She ranks eighth in the Horizon League with 3.73 digs per set.

STERNARD CLIMBS THE KILLS CHART
Senior Sara Jo Sternard, a 2014 Preseason All-Horizon League Team selection, had seven kills and three blocks at Illinois State. Sternard owns 839 career kills and needs 161 more to become the 16th member of UIC's 1,000 Kills Club.

Sternard leads UIC in total blocks (24) and service aces (5). She has moved into sole possession of ninth place in program history with 62 solo blocks.

In the Horizon League, Sternard ranks fifth in blocks (0.92 b/s), sixth in kills (2.92 k/s) and seventh in attack percentage (.302). Her 13-kill performance against Chicago State on only 19 attempts with zero errors (.684 attack percentage) is the League's most efficient this season.

JOHNSON'S THREE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Sophomore Kara Johnson has been strong both offensively and defensively this season as she is tied for the team lead with three double-doubles. She ranks second on the team with 84 kills and third with 68 digs. Johnson, who ranks fifth in the Horizon League with 3.23 kills per set, owns seven double-doubles in her brief UIC career.

At the Windy City Invitational, Johnson put down a season-high 19 kills against Syracuse to go along with a career-high 14 digs. She then had 11 kills and 13 digs in the four-set win over DePaul.

FRIEL PRODUCTIVE ON DEFENSE
Redshirt junior Tracy Friel has compiled double-digit digs in six of seven matches this season. She added nine digs at Illinois State and ranks second on the squad in digs (87). Friel has also recorded four service aces, which ranks second on UIC.

Friel's 3.35 digs per set ranks ninth in the Horizon League. Her three aces against Syracuse is the second best four-set effort in the League this season.

2014 STATISTICAL IMPROVEMENTS
Through seven contests, the 2014 UIC Flames have shown statistical improvements over the 2013 squad in many areas. The Flames are hitting over 50 points higher (.205 - .150) and putting down more than two more kills per set (13.96 - 11.89). Additionally, Nicole Johnson's stellar play has improved the setter numbers by over two assists per set (13.12 - 11.06).

UIC's defense has also seen a spike in play as Maggie Strus, Tracy Friel and Allie O'Reilly have led the back line. The Flames are averaging more than two more digs per set than last season (15.62 - 13.44). Additionally, opponents are hitting 26 points lower than the 2013 campaign (.212 - .238).

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
UIC's 2014 schedule features 12 home matches and the annual UIC Invitational in mid-September. The Flames will also play seven contests against in-state opponents and begin Horizon League action on Sept. 26 when UIC travels to Milwaukee, an NCAA tournament participant in 2013. UIC will make non-conference tournament trips to Marshall, Chicago State and defending-national champions Penn State prior to the beginning of Horizon League play.

The fourth weekend of the season (Sept. 19-20) will see the Flames make a trip to Pennsylvania to compete in Penn State's Alumni Classic. Penn State head coach Russ Rose will welcome UIC head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley and three other Penn State alumni to campus for the tournament. The other head coaches participating include Nadia Edwards (DePaul), Kate Price (Eastern Illinois) and Julie Torbett (Eastern Carolina).