CHICAGO – The UIC women's volleyball team was unable to hold off fellow Horizon League-member Youngstown State Friday evening in the Flames Athletic Center, falling 3-2 (22-25, 25-19, 25-11, 20-25, 11-15).
Sophomore
Ali Witt recorded a career-high 16 kills while hitting at a clip of .387 (16k-4e-31a). Senior
Kelsie Groot recorded her 18th double-double on the season with a match-high 23 kills and 13 digs, while fellow senior
Alyssa Ehrhardt was one dig shy of a double-double, recording 16 kills and nine digs.
Redshirt junior
Nicole Johnson earned a career-high 18 digs to pace the Flames defense, while also providing 51 assists.
The Flames led 21-16 in the first set, but were unable to hold off the surging Penguins, who scored nine of the next ten to take set one, 25-22.
Game two started as a close race, 17-16, in favor of UIC. The Flames created space with a seven-point streak led by Ehrhardt in the service position to UIC to game point, 24-16. Youngstown State was able to chip in three more points before an Ehrhardt kill finished off set two with a Flames win, 25-19.
UIC dominated set three, hitting .500 as a team while holding the Penguins to just 11 points. Witt recorded an attack percentage of .625 in the set, with five kills and zero errors. Both Groot and Ehrhardt hit at a clip of .500, with Groot recorded six of UIC's 15 kills in the set. The Flames held YSU to a mere .100 attack percentage while taking the set 25-11.
Set four was similar to the second, and was close at the start. YSU held an 18-16 lead before scoring four straight to extend its lead to six, 22-16. The Flames were unable to make a comeback, and the Penguins eventually took the set 25-20 to even the match at two apiece.
The Flames were unable to hold off Youngstown State's momentum in set five, dropping a 15-11 decision to allow the Penguins to take the match, 3-2.
UIC is back at home tomorrow to close out the regular season against Northern Kentucky at 4 p.m. CT.
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