ORLANDO, Fla. – The UIC volleyball team (5-4) split day one of the UCF Challenge on Friday, defeating Wofford (4-4) with sweeping success (25-22, 25-21, 25-23) before falling 3-1 (16-25, 25-20, 12-25, 16-25) to host UCF (5-3) in the night cap.
Match Highlights vs. Wofford
- Set One: Tied at six, the Flames created separation with two blocks and two kills to go up 10-6. Wofford threatened late with a 4-0 streak to come within two, 20-18, forcing the Flames to use a timeout.
- Set One: A kill from Alexandria Hicks put a stop to the Wofford attack, but the Terriers would once again come within two, 24-22. Paola Santiago's termination would put Wofford to bed in the first, 25-22.
- Set Two: Set two started with the Flames quickly down 7-1, but the Flames eventually found their rhythm. Trailing 13-7, UIC took eight of the next nine to turn the tides and take the lead, 15-14.
- Set Two: Tied at 16, UIC left the Terriers in the dust with a five-point streak with a pair of kills from both Clara Lamb and Paola Santiago, 21-16. The Flames never trailed from that point and took the set, 25-21.
- Set Three: The Flames owned a 22-18 lead late in the third when two Terrier kills and a UIC error put the Flames' lead in jeopardy, 22-21.
- Set Three: Lamb buried a feed from Marija Borcic, 23-21, but another Wofford kill and a ball handling error from the Flames tied the match at 23. A Terrier service error and a Santiago termination sealed the deal for the Flames, 25-23.
Facts & Figures vs. Wofford
- Clara Lamb led the Flames' offensive front, tallying 11 kills to match her personal best. Lamb finished the match hitting .375 (11k-2e-24a).
- Paola Santiago notched her fourth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 digs.
- Marija Borcic put up 10 digs alongside 20 assists for her third double-double this season.
- Kiera James contributed six kills, while Tatyana Ndekwe added five.
- Velina Minkova got the start in the libero position and led the Flames with 11 digs on defense.
- The Flames blocked seven as a team, led by Ali Witt, who saw action in six stops. Lamb also contributed four blocks.
Match Highlights vs. UCF
- Set One: UCF scored five straight off a 9-9 tie for a 14-9 advantage. The Knights led from that point, taking its last four points in-a-row to claim the set 25-16.
- Set Two: A kill from Paola Santiago, a block from Manuela Conte and a pair of UCF errors gave the Flames a 9-5 lead, forcing the Knights to call timeout.
- Set Two: UCF would only get as close as two, 21-19 before a ball handling error and a kill from Tatyana Ndekwe ended the set in favor of the Flames 25-20.
- Set Three: The third frame proved out of reach for the Flames, as the Knights sped off to a 15-6 lead after scoring eight straight. UCF went on to win game three, 25-12.
- Set Four: Set four continued much like set three, with the Knights dominating the frame for a 25-16 win.
Facts & Figures vs. UCF
- Manuela Conte paced the Flames offense with 10 kills. Paola Santiago and Clara Lamb netted eight terminations each, while Tatyana Ndekwe recorded seven.
- Libero Velina Minkova led the Flames with 22 digs. Santiago ended the match with 11 scoops.
- Ndekwe led UIC at the net, appearing in four of the Flames' five total blocks.
- UCF finished with 15 total blocks and a .325 hitting percentage, both of which were opponent season highs.
Up Next
- The Flames close out the UCF Challenge with FIU tomorrow at 12 p.m. CT.
