CHICAGO -- UIC got out to an early lead by winning the opening set against visiting DePaul Saturday night, but the Blue Demons clawed back to win three straight to close out the match for a 3-1 (23-25, 25-11, 25-22, 25-23) victory.
How It Happened
It was DePaul (2-3) that got out to a quick start in the first frame, building an 8-4 advantage early on. The Flames (2-3) steadied the ship and eventually grabbed their firts lead of the night, 15-14, following a kill from
Manuela Conte. The score was tied twice from that point forward, including at 22-22, when UIC utilized a DePaul service error to take the lead once and for all.
Ali Witt eventually gave the Flames the 25-23 victory with a thundering kill, her second of the night.
The Blue Demons made quick work of their hosts in the second set to even the match. DePaul hit .414 in the stanza and tallied four service aces as it cruised to a 25-11 victory. On the other side, UIC collected only six kills with
Alexandria Hicks and
Kyisha Hunt leading the way with two apiece.
There was very little separation between the two crosstown rivals in the third game as neither side led by more than three points at any juncture in the stanza. The Flames led 22-21 in the waning stages, but the Blue Demons ripped four straight points to close the game and earn a 2-1 advantage. Hunt carried the load once again in the third with five of UIC's 13 kills. However, the team was hampered by 10 attacking errors and two more miscues from the service line.
DePaul appeared poised to put the match away with a 14-7 lead midway through the fourth frame. The Flames still trailed by seven later on and head coach
Justin Ingram used his final timeout with the home team behind, 19-12. The stoppage sparked the Flames to a 6-3 run that featured several key plays including a block from Witt and Hicks, a kill from Hunt and an ace from
Alexandra Drosopoulou which prompted a timeout for the Blue Demons.
Spurred on by an enthusiastic crowd, UIC kept fighting and found itself behind by only two points, 23-21, after
Carla Salvato served her third ace of the evening. After another DePaul timeout the Blue Demons had a chance at match point with a 24-21 lead. With the help of a missed serve from DePaul and a block from Hicks and
Brecken Roe, the Flames were back to within a point. However, Brittany Maxwell drove home her match-best 18
th kill of the match to send the Blue Demons to their second victory in as many tries at the UIC Invitational.
Beyond the Box Score
- Brecken Roe made her first start for the Flames Saturday. She was one of four true freshmen in the starting lineup along with Alexandra Drosopoulou, Kaliegh Skopal and Alexandria Hicks. Redshirt freshman Manuela Conte also started the match for UIC.
- Kyisha Hunt led the Flames in kills for the fourth time in five matches this season. She is averaging a team-high 3.48 kills per set this season.
- Roe finished with a career-high six kills. The Maize, Kan., native added three blocks for the Flames.
- Carla Salvato registered a match-high 21 digs, one shy of her career high. The libero ranks second on the team with 91 digs this season behind only Conte (93).
Up Next
UIC travel to Peoria, Ill., next for the CEFCU Classic hosted by Bradley. The Flames begin the three-match tournament on Friday, Sept. 8 against the host team at 11 a.m. CT.
