CHICAGO – The UIC women's volleyball team defeated fellow Horizon League-member Milwaukee 3-1 (18-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-21) on Friday evening in the Flames Athletic Center. The win was the Flames' third Conference win of the season and the first time UIC has won back-to-back Horizon League matches this season.

Junior Kaylin Powell recorded a season-high .455 hitting percentage alongside a season-best 12 kills. The middle blocker also gathered eight blocks in the victory. Seniors Kelsie Groot and Alyssa Ehrhardt each recorded double-doubles for the second-consecutive match, with Groot totaling 19 kills and 11 digs, and Ehrhardt bringing in 17 kills and 12 digs.

Redshirt junior Nicole Johnson came away with 49 assists and also dug out nine. Senior Kara Johnson earned nine digs, while sophomore Gaia Gbola dug out eight. Senior Casey Harris blocked a season-high seven, while Groot and sophomore Ali Witt each blocked four.

The Flames got off to a rough start in the first set, and were unable to come back after the Panthers strung together six straight to go up 7-4 early on. Milwaukee created more distance with a string of four to go up 20-12 before eventually taking the set 25-18.   

Game two was a closer contest, with a tie game going into the final points. The Flames were able to go up by two, 22-20, off an Ehrhardt kill and a Milwaukee error, but the Panthers drew within one off a UIC service error. Ehrhardt recorded the next two points for the Flames off a kill and a service ace, and Groot sealed the victory off a feed from Nicole Johnson, 25-21.

Set three was another neck-and-neck battle, with 13 tie scores and neither team owning a lead larger than three through the entire frame. UIC led 24-21 before Milwaukee's Caitlin Schultz killed three straight to tie the set at 24. Witt and Powell recorded the final two points needed to give the Flames a 26-24 set victory and a 2-1 lead in the match.

Game four mirrored the two sets that preceded it, and was another close match. With the score tied at 20, Schultz stepped up again for Milwaukee with a give the Panthers a 21-20 lead. The Flames strung together five straight off of three Milwaukee errors and kills from Groot and Johnson to secure the 25-21 set victory and a 3-1 victory.  

The Flames will hit the road tomorrow to face Green Bay tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT