Horizon League Statistics

2014 Prospectus
Media Photo Day
Printable Poster
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CHICAGO - The UIC volleyball team (6-9) opens Horizon League play this weekend (Sept. 26-27) when the Flames make a road trip through Wisconsin. UIC plays at preseason conference favorite Milwaukee Friday night (7 pm) inside the Klotsche Center and takes on Green Bay Saturday (4 pm) at the Kress Center.

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 40-18
Last Meeting: UWM won 3-0 (Nov. 2, 2013 at UWM)
Streak: UWM has won two straight
2014 Leader in:
Kills - Julie Kolinske (166 kills)
Assists - Kayla Price (418 assists)
Service Aces - Taylor Golabowski (12 aces)
Digs - Taylor Golabowski (165 digs)
Blocks - Kaisa Mattson (34 blocks)

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 34-18
Last Meeting: UWGB won 3-0 (Nov. 1, 2013 at UWGB)
Streak: UWGB has won two straight
2014 Leader in:
Kills - Taylor Kasal (98 kills)
Assists - Emily Riese (345 assists)
Service Aces - Taylor Kasal (9 aces)
Digs - Jillian Bauer (181 digs)
Blocks - Taylor Totka (32 blocks)

UIC MATCH NOTES

YANCY'S HORIZON LEAGUE AWARD
Junior Stephenee Yancy was named the Horizon League's "Offensive Player of the Week" for the period of Sept. 15-21, it was announced by the conference office Monday morning. This is the second weekly honor for UIC this season and Yancy's first career Horizon League award.

Yancy was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Penn State Alumni Classic after 57 kills with a .381 attack percentage. She has been named to three all-tournament teams this season. The 2013 UIC Flames had one 20-kill effort while Yancy owns three such performances in her first 15 contests with the program.

Yancy, who spent the last two seasons with Western Michigan, ranks fourth in the nation with 246 kills. She is putting down a team-high 4.10 kills per set and hitting at a .365 clip. Yancy leads the Horizon League in attack percentage and ranks second in kills per set.

If the season ended today, Yancy would break UIC's single-season record for attack percentage. Kathy Berg's .354 attack percentage (364k-87e-783ta) during the 1998 season currently tops the record book.

JOHNSON AMONGST THE NATION'S BEST SETTERS
Redshirt freshman Nicole Johnson has put up historic numbers in her first 15 matches as UIC's setter. She leads the nation with 700 assists and ranks eighth with 11.67 assists per set.

Johnson leads the Horizon League in assists and owns the League's top five assist performances. She had 52 assists against East Carolina for her seventh 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 owns five double-doubles and ranks sixth in the Horizon League with 17 service aces. Johnson has 13 aces over her last eight contests and recorded a season-high four aces against East Carolina.

STRUS SEEKS PROGRAM RECORD
Senior Maggie Strus compiled 45 digs at the PSU Alumni Classic and owns 1,478 in her career, which ranks second in program history. Strus, who set UIC's single-season record with 600 digs in 2012, needs 54 more digs to become UIC's all-time dig leader.

Strus owns eight consecutive double-digit efforts, including three matches with over 20 digs. Strus had a season-high 23 digs in the four-set win over Eastern Kentucky, which is the fourth highest four-set effort in the Horizon League. She ranks eighth in the Horizon League with 3.80 digs per set.

STERNARD CLIMBS THE KILLS CHART
Senior Sara Jo Sternard, a 2014 Preseason All-Horizon League Team selection, had 16 kills at the PSU Alumni Classic. Sternard owns 913 career kills and needs 87 more to become the 16th member of UIC's 1,000 Kills Club.

Sternard ranks ninth in the Horizon League with a .265 attack percentage. She leads UIC in total blocks (40) and is tied for sixth in program history with 69 solo blocks.

Sternard's 13-kill performance against Chicago State on only 19 attempts with zero errors (.684 attack percentage) is the League's most efficient this season. She also had zero errors with 14 kills on 27 attempts (.519 attack percentage) against Eastern Kentucky.

JOHNSON'S NINE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Sophomore Kara Johnson has been strong both offensively and defensively this season as she owns nine double-doubles. She set a career-high with 21 digs to go along with 16 kills against East Carolina.

Johnson ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 3.20 kills per set and third on UIC with 157 digs. Johnson owns 13 double-doubles in her brief UIC career.

Johnson put down a career-high 23 kills to go along with 11 digs against Western Illinois. Her 23 kills against WIU is the third-highest performance in the Horizon League.

MCCOY PASSES 600 KILLS
Senior Molly McCoy put down 23 kills at the PSU Alumni Classic and passed the 600-career kill mark. She had 13 kills on 26 attempts against East Carolina to achieve the milestone. McCoy owns six double-digit kill efforts and ranks fourth on the squad with 141 kills.

FRIEL DANGEROUS AT SERVICE LINE
Redshirt junior Tracy Friel ranks tenth in the Horizon League with 14 service aces and has seven aces over her last five matches. She had four aces at the PSU Alumni Classic and a season-high three aces against Syracuse at the Windy City Invitational (Sept. 6).

Friel has also compiled double-digit digs in ten matches. She compiled 14 digs against East Carolina and ranks second on the squad in digs (167).

HORIZON LEAGUE RANKS
UIC enters Horizon League play leading the conference in kills and assists. The Flames are averaging 13.08 assists on 13.85 kills per set.

UIC also ranks fourth in the League with a .217 attack percentage. On the other side of the net, UIC leads the conference by limiting opponents to 12.05 digs and 10.98 assists per set.

2014 STATISTICAL IMPROVEMENTS
Through 15 contests, the 2014 UIC Flames have shown statistical improvements over the 2013 squad in many areas. The Flames are hitting 67 points higher (.217 - .150) and putting down nearly two more kills per set (13.85 - 11.89). UIC ranks 32nd in the nation with 13.08 assists per set and 39th with 13.85 kills per set.

UIC's defense has also seen a spike in play as Maggie Strus, Tracy Friel and Allie O'Reilly have been strong on the back line. The Flames are averaging over one more dig per set than last season (14.77 - 13.44). Additionally, opponents are hitting 12 points lower than the 2013 campaign (.226 - .238).