UIC overcame a slow start and a 2-0 deficit before rallying to take the last three sets against Cleveland State Sunday afternoon. Facing a sweep in the last home match of the season, the Flames gutted out a 25-22 win in set three, and then dominated set four before taking the tiebreaker, 15-11.
Marija Borcic was one assist shy of her season high with a match-high 35. She added 12 digs for her sixth double-double.
Michelle Glover had many timely kills among her season high 17.
Paola Santiago has 16 kills and 10 digs.
The Flames swept the season series from Cleveland State for the first time this century.
Match Highlights
Set 1
- Two early aces by the visitors helped stake them to a 10-4 lead, forcing a Flames timeout.
- The Flames tried to mount a comeback with consecutive service aces by Lauren Musante. They brought the team within five points, but Cleveland State rattled off the next three points and won the set comfortable.
- UIC's hit percentage was .056 in Set 1. They made seven attack errors, while the Vikings scored on five aces.
Set 2
- Tatyana Ndekwe and Glover had big kills early in the set, helping UIC establish a 5-2 lead.
- Ndekwe's block at the net put the Flames up by two, 12-10, but after the teams alternated points on the next six serves, Cleveland State put together an 8-3 run.
- The longest rally of the match brought the crowd to its feet when UIC finally won the point thanks to Ndekwe. That sparked three points in four serves that brought the Flames even, 23-23.
- CSU called timeout and then won two straight points to take the set. They hit .314 in the set.
Set 3
- Cleveland State aimed for the sweep, holding a two point advantage at 14-12 after a costly Flames service error by Velina Minkova.
- The Flames did not let the Vikings pull away. Given a free shot off a hitting error, Ndekwe landed a kill to make it 19-17 UIC.
- The Vikings showed some cracks with errors on three straight points. UIC opened up a three point lead at 22-19, and maintained that advantage until the 25-22 final.
- UIC overcame Cleveland State's best hitting set of the match (.423) in part thanks to their .486 kill rate.
Set 4
- UIC could do no wrong in set four. A very nicely played point, finished off by a Paola Santiago kill, gave them an 8-4 lead.
- Glover had a couple of kills as the home team extended their lead to 14-9.
- Glover showed off some defensive skills, blocking a Viking attempt to make it 20-10.
- The Flames cruised to the win with a Glover ace finishing off the 25-12 romp.
Set 5
- Glover continued to dominate with even more kills as the Flames took the early lead in set five.
- Minkova aced a serve to push the score to 12-9, forcing a Viking timeout.
- The Vikings scored two straight after their stoppage.
- The Flames called a timeout of their own, and then rattled off the last three points of the match. Glover registered her final kill, alertly putting down a ball that CSU sent over on one, for the 14th point. She combined with Santiago and Alexandria Hicks to block the final Viking shot.
Facts and Figures
- Ndekwe was UIC's most efficient attacker at .474 (10k-1e-19a).
- Glover finished the day hitting .387 (17k-5e-31a).
- Emily Kelly put up 27 assists, and Kiera James tallied 23. Six Flames got into double figures in assists.
- Minkova's 14 digs were a match high. Manuela Conte and Marija Borcic had 12 each. Santiago chipped in 10.
- UIC hit .267 for the match. Cleveland State was slightly better at .279.
- The Flames came one service ace short of their season high, with nine.
- UIC out-dug the Vikings, 66-58.
Up Next
- The Flames will close out the regular season with two matches in Wisconsin.
- They will take on Green Bay Thursday, and Milwaukee on Friday.
