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UIC Athletics

thevalley
Sasha and Robyn
Ozzie Stern
3
Winner Illinois St. ILS 10-2,1-0 MVC
1
UIC UIC 4-9,0-1 MVC
Winner
Illinois St. ILS
10-2,1-0 MVC
3
Final
1
UIC UIC
4-9,0-1 MVC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Illinois St. ILS 25 23 25 25 (3)
UIC UIC 19 25 15 23 (1)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

Volleyball Falls in Missouri Valley Conference Home Opener to Illinois State

The Flames aim to bounce back tomorrow at 2 p.m. against Belmont at Credit Union 1 Arena.

CHICAGO – The UIC volleyball team (4-9, 0-1 MVC) opened Missouri Valley Conference play against Illinois State (10-2, 1-0 MVC) Friday night, falling in four sets in front of the home crowd at Credit Union 1 Arena.

Senior Gabi Peter led UIC's attack with 10 kills and had three total blocks in the contest. Sophomore Emma Colombari had eight kills and a pair of aces against the Redbirds. Freshman Maryam Hussein led the defensive front, with a team-high five blocks across the four sets.

After Illinois State took a 15-8 lead midway through the first set, the Flames responded with a six-point rally, highlighted by kills from Peter and junior Jillian Gibbons, along with a pair of service aces from senior Tamara Kisic, to cut the deficit to 15-14. UIC stayed within one point late in the set before a 6-1 Redbirds run secured the first set for Illinois State.

In the second set, the Flames rallied midway through, scoring seven consecutive points behind freshman Nour Elsafy's first collegiate kill to take a 16-14 lead. UIC maintained a narrow advantage before an Illinois State service error gave the Flames their first set point of the night. After the Redbirds answered with a point, freshman setter Paulina Ströh placed a ball perfectly for Peter, who secured the kill to give UIC the set, 25-23.

The Flames looked to recover from a tough third set, falling 25-15, as they fought to extend the match to five sets. UIC held an early lead, highlighted by a pair of kills from  Peter to put the Flames ahead 10-8. The Redbirds tied the set at 12-12, forcing UIC to play from behind. The Flames later trimmed the deficit to one at 20-19 after a kill from Kisic and an Illinois State attack error, but the Redbirds responded with four consecutive points to reach match point. UIC scored three straight to stay alive before Illinois State secured the 25-23 set victory.

The entire play-by-play and box score can be found here.
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UP NEXT!
The Flames are back at Credit Union 1 Arena tomorrow afternoon, when they host Belmont (4-8, 1-0 MVC) for a 2 p.m. first serve. The match-up will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available at UICFlames.com.

Saturday's match-up will also be our Community Volleyball Day, where we will be inviting volleyball programs from the Chicagoland area to come cheer on the Flames. We will also be hosting post-match autographs.

Details on single match tickets for the 2026 season will be available via the UIC Athletics Ticket Office, which can be reached by phone (312.996.5580) or e-mail (athleticsticketing@uic.edu). Doors open one hour before first serve.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on UIC volleyball, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_Volleyball and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uicvolleyball and @uicflames).

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