Sept. 23, 2008

Box Score

Mt. Pleasant, Mich. - The UIC volleyball team dropped Central Michigan in a five-set thriller (19-25, 25-22, 25-22, 23-26, 15-13) on the road in Mt. Pleasant on Tuesday night.

Katerina Hanackova recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 13 digs. Casie Sullivan led the Flames with a team-best 14 kills. Epiphany Davis and Lana Lobdell each notched four blocks apiece.

Whitney Evers guided Central Michigan with 15 kills and 13 digs.

Knotted at 4-4 early in set one, Central Michigan recorded a 6-2 run to take an 11-6 lead. The Flames cut the deficit to one point with four unanswered points (17-16), but the Chippewas sparked an 8-3 for the win (25-18).

It was a tight battle throughout the second set with five ties. The Flames expanded their lead by four points (20-16), but Central Michigan responded with a 4-1 run to cut the deficit to one. Three straight points late in the frame guided UIC to a 25-22 victory.

A 7-4 run in set three continued the momentum in UIC's favor. The Chippewas fought back to tie the set two times before the Flames dished out three straight points for a 2-1 (25-22) match advantage.

The Flames overwhelmed the Chippewas in the fourth set with a 20-13 lead, but CMU recorded a 6-0 burst to inch itself back within one point. Consecutive UIC errors forced the match into a fifth and final set (26-24).

Both teams battled closely to the end of set five. Central Michigan took a brief 13-12 lead before the Flames recorded three successive points for the match win (15-13).

UIC returns to the Flames Athletic Center on Friday, Sept. 26 for a Horizon League matchup against Loyola at 7 p.m.