CHICAGO -- UIC went the distance, a full five sets, for the fourth time this season Saturday afternoon, but for the first time the Flames came out on the short end as they fell to Valparaiso, 3-2 (19-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 15-7).

Kyisha Hunt carried a great deal of the offensive load Saturday, as she terminated a career-high 18 kills for UIC (12-4, 0-2 Horizon League). Also in double digits in the scoring column were Kelsie Groot with 15 kills and Alyssa Ehrhardt 14. Both players also added 10 digs to secure double-doubles in the second consecutive night.

With back-to-back wins in sets three in four in its pocket, Valparaiso (7-9, 1-1 Horizon League) had energy on its side as the teams began the decisive fifth game. The Crusaders served first and scored the first five points of the stanza in succession. Ehrhardt temporarily stopped the surge with a kill, but Valpo continued to apply pressure, seizing an 8-2 lead as the team's switched ends. Tried as they might, the Flames could come no closer than five points the rest of the way before the Crusaders notched a 15-7 win.

"We're certainly disappointed with the result tonight," said Katie Schumacher Cawley. "I thought we were well prepared and ready to go at the start. We were able to find a way to win a close one in the second, but we lost that composure after the break. Valpo did a great job defensively to get us out of rhythm, and they found a way to get those tough points down the stretch."

When the match began, it was UIC that came out of the locker room focused and energized for its second Horizon League match of the weekend. Valpo held a slim 13-10 lead near the midway point of the first set. A kill from Hunt pulled the Flames to within two, and it ignited a nine-point run that was capped by an ace from Ehrhardt which gave the home team a 19-13 lead. The Crusaders would only come as close as four points before sophomore Ali Witt put an exclamation point on a 25-19 victory for UIC in game one.

The second game followed a similar blueprint for the Flames. UIC was down 13-10, once again, when Groot scored off a feed from Nicole Johnson. That set off a string of six consecutive points that gave the home team a 16-13 lead. The teams traded small runs when Ehrhardt and Hunt registered back-to-back kills to pull ahead for a 25-23 triumph and a 2-0 lead at the break.

In set four, the score was tied at 15 points apiece before a 6-1 run by the visitors created some separation. Casey Harris picked a kill to quell the surge, but Valparaiso hung on for a 25-19 victory to cut its deficit in half.

Late in game four, UIC found itself down just two points, 19-17, following one of Ehrhardt's 14 kills. However, the Flames were held to just one point from that moment forward as the Crusaders won 25-18 to set up the decisive fifth game.

Hunt was not the only member of the Flames to collect a career high on Saturday. Sophomore Gaia Gbola had a personal-best 15 digs, matching libero Kara Johnson for team-high honors.

The Flames will conclude the three-match homestand on Friday, Sept. 30 when they host the Green Bay Phoenix in Horizon League action at 7 p.m. CT. The weekend concludes with a trip north on Interstate 94 to meet the Milwaukee Panthers inside the Klotsche Center on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m.