2015 Prospectus
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CHICAGO - The UIC volleyball team begins its 2015 campaign Friday at the two-day IPFW Invitational in Fort Wayne, Ind. The Flames open the season Friday at 3:30 pm CT against Eastern Illinois. During the second day of the Invitational, UIC faces host IPFW at 12:00 pm CT, followed by Central Michigan at 3:30 pm CT.


UIC (0-0) vs. Eastern Illinois (0-0)
Date Friday, Aug. 28
Time 3:30 p.m. CST
Location Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats GoMastodons.com
Social Media @UICVolleyball
2014 Season Stats UIC Flames | Eastern Illinois Panthers

UIC (0-0) vs. IPFW (0-0)
Date Saturday, Aug. 29
Time 12 p.m. CST
Location Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats GoMastodons.com
Social Media @UICVolleyball
2014 Season Stats UIC Flames | IPFW Mastodons

UIC (0-0) vs. Central Michigan (0-0)
Date Saturday, Aug. 29
Time 3:30 p.m. CST
Location Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats GoMastodons.com
Social Media @UICVolleyball
2014 Season Stats UIC Flames | Central Michigan Chippewas

A LOOK AT EASTERN ILLINOIS
Nickname: Panthers
Conference: Ohio Valley
Head Coach: Samantha Wolinski (1st season)
2014 Record: 15-16, 8-8 OVC
Series History: UIC leads 18-15
Last Meeting: UIC won 3-1 (Sept. 20, 2014 at PSU Alumni Classic)
Streak: UIC has won two of the last three meetings
Returning Leader in:
Kills - Abby Saalfrank (422 kills)
Assists - Marah Bradbury (1,378 assists)
Aces - Abby Saalfrank (26 aces)
Digs - Stephanie Wallace (583 digs)
Blocks - Allie Hueston (113 blocks)

A LOOK AT IPFW
Nickname: Mastodons
Conference: Summit League
Head Coach: Steve Florio (2nd season)
2014 Record: 13-20, 7-9 Summit League
Series History: IPFW leads 2-1
Last Meeting: IPFW won 3-0 (Sept. 1, 2012 at UIC)
Streak: IPFW has won two straight meetings
Returning Leader in:
Kills - Somer Johnson (354 kills)
Assists - Olivia Hahn (25 assists)
Aces - Somer Johnson (20 aces)
Digs - Olivia Hahn (251 digs)
Blocks - Sarah Heckman (107 blocks)

A LOOK AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Nickname: Chippewas
Conference: Mid-American
Head Coach: Erik Olson (11th season)
2014 Record: 10-18, 5-11 MAC
Series History: CMU leads 6-1
Last Meeting: CMU won 3-0 (Sept. 15, 2009 at UIC)
Streak: Teams have split the last two meetings
Returning Leader in:
Kills - Jordan Bueter (306 kills)
Assists - Jordan Bueter (21 assists)
Aces - Jordan Bueter (26 aces)
Digs - Jordan Bueter (249 digs)
Blocks - Angie White (117 blocks)

UIC Match Notes

YANCY AMONGST LEAGUE'S BEST
Senior middle blocker Stephenee Yancy was selected as the 2015 Preseason Horizon League Offensive Player of the Year. In 2014, Yancy was named Horizon League Co-Player of the Year after ranking 24th nationally with 512 kills. She also ranked 20th nationally in kills per set (4.38) and 56th in attack percentage (.358).

Yancy, who received AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region honors, became the fifth player in program history to put down 500 kills in a single season. Her .358 attack percentage broke the single-season program record.

Yancy put down double-digit kills in all 31 matches and recorded seven 20-plus kill performances. Defensively, she ranked eighth in the Horizon League with 106 blocks.

YANCY SHINES WITH USA VOLLEYBALL
Stephenee Yancy made a good impression on her U.S. CNT (Collegiate National Team) Red squad by registering 14 points over two matches in late June. She trained and competed with USA Volleyball in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships.

Yancy was one of 36 athletes who began training with USA Volleyball in New Orleans. The CNT program was considered a second tryout for the U.S. Women's National Team.

JOHNSON NAMED LEAGUE'S BEST FRESHMAN
Sophomore setter Nicole Johnson was selected the 2014 Horizon League Freshman of the Year after ranking sixth with 11.67 assists per set. She was also an All-Horizon League Team selection.

Johnson's 1,365 assists ranked 14th nationally and eighth highest in a single-season in program history. She led UIC with 26 service aces and contributed seven of UIC's 22 double-doubles.

Johnson recorded 55 or more assists in seven matches. She compiled 227 digs with seven double-digit dig efforts.

JOHNSON ON PACE FOR 1,000 KILLS/1,000 DIGS
Junior outside hitter Kara Johnson has recorded 688 kills and 505 digs over her first two seasons at UIC. She needs 312 kills and 495 digs over the next two seasons to become the 10th player in program history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

Johnson had 384 kills, 286 digs and 12 double-doubles in 2014. The last UIC player to join the 1,000 kills/1,000 digs club was Katarina Nedeljikovic in 2008 (1,381k/1,150d).

EHRHARDT AND POWELL TRANSFER TO UIC
Over the offseason, the Flames added Toledo transfer Alyssa Ehrhardt (5-foot-11 outside hitter) and Purdue transfer Bridget Powell (5-foot-6 defensive specialist) to the roster. Ehrhardt put down 342 kills over two seasons with the Rockets and Powell was a nationally-ranked libero at Mother McAuley High School.

Ehrhardt led Toledo and ranked ninth in the Mid-American Conference with 287 kills last season. She ranked second on the squad with 284 digs and 15 aces.

Powell appeared in six matches in 2013 at Purdue and made good on 98 percent of her serve reception chances. She saw action in the Boilermakers' NCAA First Round match against Central Arkansas.

FIVE FRESHMEN JOIN THE FLAMES
Seventh-year head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley brought in five freshmen in Carla Salvato (5-foot-5 libero), Haley Sullivan (5-foot-3 libero), Ali Witt (6-foot-0 middle blocker), Macy Geyer (5-foot-11 setter) and Morgan Mereday (6-foot-0 outside hitter).

Salvato was an All-conference pick at St. Ignatius College Prep and collected 600 digs. Sullivan was a three-year starter at Lemont High School and compiled 924 digs. Witt was a two-year starter at Prairie Ridge High School and a Sun-Times' Preseason Top 50 selection.

Geyer was a four-year starter for Hononegah Community and a three-time All-NIC-10 selection. Mereday was selected second-team All-State in 2014 and put down 263 kills at Hunterdon Central.

2015 SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
The 2015 schedule features 13 home matches and the annual UIC Invitational in early-September (4-5). The Flames will also make non-conference tournament trips to IPFW, Butler and Denver prior to the beginning of Horizon League play. The Flames will play five contests against in-state opponents and begin Horizon League action on Sept. 25, when UIC plays at Wright State.