CHICAGO – The UIC volleyball team (3-0) captured its third-straight sweep on Saturday with 3-0 wins over Maryland Eastern Shore (25-15, 26-24, 25-17) and Central Michigan (25-23, 25-21, 25-20). Saturday's victories marks the first time since 1984 that the Flames have opened up a season with three-straight sweeps.
Match Highlights vs. Maryland Eastern Shore
- Set One: The Flames utilized three separate 4-0 runs to build a 17-6 cushion in the opening frame. UIC built from there, eventually owning a 24-12 lead. The Shorehawks chipped in three before an error sealed the Flames' 25-15 win.
- Set Two: Maryland Eastern Shore gained ground on a 7-6 lead with five straight, 12-6. The Flames began to chip away at the lead and after a pair of Lauren Musante aces, the set was tied at 18.
- Set Two: The Flames took the next two by way of a block and a Hawks error for a 20-18 advantage. Maryland Eastern Shore notched one before a kill from Tatyana Ndekwe and a pair of aces from Paola Santiago put UIC ahead 23-19.
- Set Two: The Hawks went on a 4-0 run to tie it, but a denial at the net by Ndekwe and Kiera James gave the Flames the sideout. A UIC error tied it again, but the Hawks committed an error of their own and an ace from Marija Borcic gave the Flames the 26-24 victory.
- Set Three: The Flames owned a 10-5 lead to start, but the Hawks would tie it at 13. The two teams stayed within four points of each other until the Flames took six straight for the 25-17 win. The six-point streak featured kills by Clara Lamb, Manuela Conte as well as three aces by Borcic.
Facts & Figures vs. Maryland Eastern Shore
- The Flames utilized a balanced attack on offense, with Santiago leading the way with six kills. Alexandria Hicks, Ali Witt, Manuela Conte and Ndekwe all recorded five.
- UIC out blocked the Hawks by a margin of 10-2. Ndekwe paced the Flames with six, while Hicks, James and Witt contributed four rejections apiece.
- The Flames held contained the Maryland Eastern Shore offense throughout the match, as the Hawks' highest attack percentage was just .069 in the second frame.
Match Highlights vs. Central Michigan
- Set One: The Flames built a 21-14 lead at the start, but the Chippewas notched four straight kills to come within striking distance, 21-18.
- Set One: A service error put the ball back in UIC's service, and a kill from Paola Santiago put the score at 23-18. Central Michigan recorded another two terminations, but Santiago came through again with a termination of her own. The Chippewas then went on a 3-0 run while the Flames sat at set point, but Tatyana Ndekwe ended the game with a decisive kill through the Chippewa defense.
- Set Two: UIC built off a two-point edge with seven straight for a 18-9 advantage. The Chippewas went on a 10-3 run to come within two, 21-19, but the Flames were still able to end the set with a 25-21 set victory.
- Set Three: The third frame started with a 10-4 lead for UIC, but Central Michigan put up six straight to tie it at 10 apiece. Neither team led by more than two until a 6-0 run for the Flames finished the set 25-20, giving UIC the sweep.
Facts & Figures vs. Central Michigan
- Alexandria Hicks led the offensive front with nine kills.
- Ali Witt was named the tournament's MVP after ending the evening hitting .462 with six kills, while committing zero errors.
- Manuela Conte and Ndekwe joined Witt on the UIC Invitational All-Tournament Team.
- Paola Santiago, Clara Lamb and Ndekwe all added six terminations each.
- Marija Borcic paced the defense with nine digs, followed closely by Velina Minkova and Conte with eight apiece.
- Borcic also led the Flames with 19 assists, while Lauren Musante contributed 14.
Up Next
- The Flames will hit the road for the first time in 2018 as they travel to Omaha, Nebraska for the Omaha Challenge.
Highlights vs. Maryland Eastern Shore
Highlights vs. Central Michigan
