CHICAGO – UIC got out to a fast start in its Horizon League opener Friday night, but it could not hold off the visiting Wright State Raiders, which won the match, 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-17).
 
Seniors Alyssa Ehrhardt and Kelsie Groot each registered double-doubles for UIC (12-3, 0-1 Horizon League). Ehrhardt powered down a match-best 18 kills to go along with 15 digs, while Groot terminated 16 balls and added 12 digs for the Flames. For Ehrhardt, it was her fifth such effort and second in the team's last four matches. Groot leads the team with 11 double-doubles, and she has accomplished the feat in three consecutive contests.
 
UIC came out firing in the latter stages of the third frame. The score was knotted at 15 points apiece when a kill from Groot set off a 6-1 run that helped create some separation. Ehrhardt had two kills during that particular surge, while Ali Witt added one. After Wright (6-8, 1-0 Horizon League) called its second timeout, they got to within three points (22-19), but kills from Ehrhardt and Kyisha Hunt boosted the cushion before Groot and Witt teamed up to block Megan Hopkins' final effort to secure game point and a 25-20 triumph.
 
The Raiders got out a fast start in the second set by grabbing a 7-2 lead out of the gate. The Flames steadied themselves and pulled within a point, down 9-8, following another kill from Ehrhardt, but Wright State consistently countered. UIC was down a deuce, 20-18, down the stretch after a kill from Groot, but the Raiders closed the frame by scoring the final five points to secure a 25-18 victory, evening the match at 1-1.
 
The third set featured more of the same as the Flames were unable to gain a lead at any point. The score was tied early on at three points a side after Hunt put down one of her 10 kills, but WSU responded by going on another run that pushed its lead to 11-5. UIC used a timeout and methodically chipped away, getting back to within five after falling behind by as many as 10 points on two separate occasions. Groot gave it her all with six total kills in the third game, including four down the stretch, but it was not enough as the Raiders secured a second consecutive 25-18 victory to take a 2-1 lead for the match.
 
The fourth frame followed in similar fashion for the home team. UIC led early on, 4-3, following a kill from Groot off a feed from Kara Johnson, but that was the last lead the Flames would grasp on the evening. The score was 11-10 in favor of WSU following a block from Hunt and Witt, but the Raiders responded with four consecutive points that seemingly snatched the wind from UIC's sail. Wright State led 24-15 when Ehrhardt kept hope alive with back-to-back kills, but a comeback was not meant to be.
 
"We're all disappointed that we weren't able to come and defend our home court tonight," said Katie Schumacher-Cawley. "We had another great crowd on hand, and after getting out to an early lead we weren't able to maintain that high level of energy we needed. Wright State came in and executed their game plan very well, while we had some more inconsistencies. I know that we'll move on quickly because we have another great opponent in Valparaiso coming in here tomorrow and we have to be prepared for another tough test."
 
The Raiders put forth a tremendous defensive effort to snag a win on the road. The team tallied 11 blocks in the match, including a personal total of eight (2s-6a) from Hopkins. The back row was also stout, led by libero Jessie Thornton. The reigning Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week provided 32 kills in victory for her team. Katie Klusman also added 13, to go along with her 13 kills.
 
UIC's back row was anchored by Kara Johnson, who turned out 21 digs on the night. While Ehrhardt (15) and Groot (12) were also in double digits, Nicole Johnson (9) and Gaia Gbola (8) narrowly missed the that mark. The Flames had 74 digs as a team, the highest total in a four-set match this season. It marks the second-best output overall, one shy of the season-high number (75), that was set in a five-set win over South Florida on Sept. 10.
 
Horizon League play continues at the Flames Athletic Center on Saturday, Sept. 24, when the Valparaiso Crusaders come to town at 4 p.m. CT.