Box Score Sept. 19, 2015 Box Score
DENVER -- UIC finished the preseason tournament portion of its 2015 schedule Saturday by splitting a pair of matches at the Denver Invitational at the University of Denver. The Flames knocked off Abilene Christian, 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 19-25, 26-24), in the first session, but they dropped a five-set affair to the Montana Grizzlies to finish the day (25-9, 23-25, 16-25, 25-23, 15-11).
Montana was in total control through the majority of the first set. The two teams split the first eight points before the Grizzlies stormed off on a 18-3 run to put the first set on ice. UIC committed eight attacking errors in the opening frame, while scoring only nine points. Montana did not have a single one while hitting .667 with 12 kills. Hannah Sackett posted four kills to lead all players in the first set.
The Flames shook off the sluggish start and went right back to work in the second stanza. UIC raced out to a quick 5-1 lead thanks to kills from Kara Johnson, Casey Harris and Kyisha Hunt, plus a service ace from Carla Salvato and a block by Hunt and Stephenee Yancy. Montana pulled to within three points at 8-5, but the Flames kept pressing and soon led by 10 points at 17-7 after an ace from freshman Haley Sullivan.
The Grizzlies climbed to within seven points at 19-12, but Yancy put UIC back up by eight with her third kill of the frame. Montana battled hard down the stretch and came within two points at 24-22, forcing UIC head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley to use a timeout. The Flames had three previous chances to seal the set before the stoppage, and the Grizzlies got it down to one after a UIC attacking error. With a chance to tie the set, however, Montana's Briana Gardner made a serving error that handed the Flames a 25-23 victory.
UIC never trailed in the third game as it posted its most convincing victory of the night, 25-16. In a stanza that was tied 5-5, the Flames went on a 12-6 run to take a 17-11 lead, prompting Montana to call timeout to try to slow the surge. Yancy had two consecutive kills after the respite and Alyssa Ehrhardt served an ace to make 20-11. The Grizzlies later fought off one set point, but UM's Gardner misfired from the service line once again to give the Flames a nine-point victory.
The first half of the fourth set was very much another back and forth affair. The two sides were tied at 14-14 after an Ehrhardt kill for UIC, but Montana responded with four unanswered points to take a lead it would not relinquish. Two more kills by Ehrhardt and a double contact by the Grizzlies helped fight off three set points, but after a timeout UM got the point that it needed to even the match and force a decisive fifth frame.
Montana scored the first three points of the fifth set, but UIC answered with four straight to take a narrow lead. Later it was 8-8 after consecutive kills from Ehrhardt and Yancy, but the Grizzlies scored the next two points and they would never look back en route to a 15-11 win.
Ehrhardt with 13 kills and Kara Johnson added 11 to go along with nine digs. Yancy had 12 kills, while Hunt chipped in with nine to go with her team-high six blocks.
UIC 3, Abilene Christian 1 (25-21, 25-19, 19-25, 26-24)
UIC withstood a late charge by Abilene Christian University to brush past the Wildcats and earn a first victory at the Denver Invitational Saturday, 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 19-25, 26-24).
Senior Stephenee Yancy turned in another dominant performance for the Flames Saturday. The middle blocker pounded down a season-high 26 kills in the four-set victory. That was one shy of her career-best effort and the second-best output for any Horizon League player in a four-set match this season. Yancy also stood out on the defensive side with a team-high six blocks for UIC.
UIC junior Kara Johnson also added 12 kills against the Wildcats, while sophomore Kyisha Hunt added nine and four blocks. Defensively, libero Bridget Powell (20) and defensive specialist Tracy Friel (16) posted season highs in digs, while setter Nicole Johnson matched her best effort with 14 digs. The sophomore handed out 55 assists in the victory to notch her fourth double-double of the season.
In the opening set, the Flames were up a point, 15-14, before a kill by Yancy ignited a 5-1 run that put the team in the driver's seat. Later, a kill from Hunt gave the Flames a chance to win with a 24-20 lead, but a rarer Yancy attacking error kept the Wildcats alive. The Aroma Park, Ill., native quickly rebounded, however, and buried a feed from Nicole Johnson to collect a 25-21 triumph for her team.
Abilene Christian built up a slim 8-4 lead in the second stanza, but after a couple of kills from Kara Johnson, freshman Haley Sullivan stepped up to serve and soon the Flames had evened the score at 10-10. After nabbing an 11-10 lead on a block by Hunt and Yancy, UIC would never trail again in the game before they finished a 25-19 victory.
The Wildcats were finally able to pick up a game with a 25-19 win in the third set, slicing the overall deficit to 2-1. Abilene Christian hit .412 in the third game with 15 kills and only one error in 34 attempts. They also had three blocks, while the Flames could not help themselves thanks to six attacking errors and two more from the service line.
The fourth game was perhaps the tightest of the quartet with 10 tie scores and five lead changes. Nearing the conclusion, ACU had a chance to even the match at two sets apiece with a 24-23 lead after a kill from Jacey Smith. Yancy was quick to answer, however, as she delivered the equalizer with an assist from Friel. Hunt and Casey Harris then teamed up for an assisted block to give UIC a 25-24 lead, then Hunt delivered the match-winning kill to end the match.
UIC had a match-high 19 kills in the fourth set, including seven from Yancy, four from Hunt and three from Harris. Nicole Johnson registered 16 assists as the Flames hit .250 in the stanza.
Next Match:
The Flames will open Horizon League play on the road next weekend. UIC visits Wright State on Friday, Sept. 25 before taking on league newcomer Northern Kentucky for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 26.
