Boxscore (PDF/HTML)

PEORIA, Ill. – The UNO volleyball team battled in its Division I debut, but Illinois-Chicago took a 3-1 win (25-19, 25-15, 16-25, 25-20) at the CEFCU Classic at Bradley's Renaissance Coliseum on Friday afternoon. With the loss, the Mavericks are 0-1 on the year, while UIC improves to 1-0.

Sophomore outside hitter Abby Sorensen led the Mavs offensively, totaling a match-high 15 kills. Junior outside hitter Natalie Ebke also had a strong performance with her first double-double of the season on 11 kills and 17 digs. Senior setter Emily Myers finished with 35 assists, and senior libero Angie Reicks chipped in 25 digs. Sophomore defensive specialist Amy Roberts also had a double-digit dig day with 10 of her own, while senior middle blocker Brittany Hanssen put up five blocks to lead UNO at the net.

Illinois-Chicago outhit the Mavericks .174 to .057, topped by 11 kills from Maggie Strus and 10 from Janise Dismuke, who had a .391 attacking performance. For its part, Nebraska Omaha outdug the Flames 74 to 69.

Sophomore rightside hitter Ali Jansen had four kills in the first set, including the first one of the game to put UNO up 1-0. Down 5-1, the Mavs battled back to 7-5 on an Ebke kill. UIC went up 11-6 at the first timeout, but the Mavs capitalized on four Flame attack errors, capped by a Jansen ace, to bring it within one at 15-14. The Flames then went on an 8-4 run to go up 23-18. Sorensen had a huge kill to hold off UIC at 24-19, but Illinois-Chicago took the set with a score of 25-19.

In game two, three kills from Sorensen and one from Hanssen helped UNO out to a quick 8-5 advantage. UIC then went on a 7-2 run to take the lead, but the Flames were halted with a kill from Mach. Myers added a service ace to tie it at 12-12, but Illinois-Chicago stormed back for 10 straight unanswered points, including back-to-back blocks, to go up 22-12. Despite two kills by Ebke and another by junior outside hitter Sydney Fleege, Illinois-Chicago went on to win the second set, 25-15.

UNO took an immediate lead in the third game and never relinquished it. Up 5-2, a kill and two service aces by Sorensen stretched it to 7-3, followed up by a block from Hanssen and Myers (8-3). The Mavs made it 10-5 with back-to-back kills by Hanssen and Myers, and another kill from freshman middle blocker Jessy Schroedter pushed it to 12-7. Two kills by Ebke then helped UNO to a 16-11 lead. A block by Sorensen and Hanssen, followed by two Sorensen kills, closed out the Maverick win at 25-16. Nebraska Omaha hit a match-high .179 and held the Flames to a -.026 hitting effort.

In game four, UNO enjoyed an early lead, but UIC kept it tight at 15-15. UIC then went out to a 20-16 lead, with UNO closing in at 20-18 when Myers swooped in for a kill. The Flames kept UNO at bay, however, taking the fourth game, 25-20. UIC forced nine Maverick attack errors in the final set and was helped by six kills on .500 hitting by Safranek.

“I felt as if the first two sets, we started off very passive,” Head Coach Rose Shires said. “We have to attack every point, every play, and we have to control the tempo of the match. We started off a little timid, but I was pleased to see that we changed how we were attacking the game, and it made a difference in sets three and four. Our blocking picked up, our attacking picked up, and our service game picked up. We had them in an out-of-service situation in sets three and four, and that's because of how aggressively we were going after the match.”

UNO returns to action tonight, facing host Bradley at Renaissance Coliseum at 7 p.m.