Two strong defensive efforts helped the UIS women's volleyball team go 2-0 on day one of the 2018 Capital Classic in Springfield, Ill. The Prairie Stars held their two opponents to a combined 0.066 hitting percentage as they earned sweeps over Walsh and Cedarville.

In the first match of the 2018 season, UIS defeated Walsh by scores of 25-20, 25-20, and 25-20.
 
UIS established its blocking game early in the second set with four blocks in a six-point span. It finished with 11 total blocks, including 10 in the final two sets. That helped the Prairie Stars hold Walsh to just .126 hitting for the match. Alyssa Hasler finished with seven blocks, and Tiffany Wentworth had six. UIS also had 66 digs in the match, including 16 from Jailyn Borum, 12 from Wentworth, and 11 from Rachel Cobert.
 
Offensively, Brianna Bush led the team with 13 kills, and she hit .323 for the match. The team's middle blockers, Hasler and Alli Splitt, combined for 16 kills and they had a .412 attacking percentage. Wentworth had a team-high 34 assists, and Cobert had two of the team's four service aces.
 
In the evening match, UIS knocked off Cedarville by scores of 25-16, 25-19, and 25-15. The Prairie Stars held Cedarville to a negative attacking percentage in the match. Hasler and Wentworth again led the team with four blocks apiece, and Borum had a match-high 19 digs.
 
Offensively, a pair of freshmen sparked the team at the service line. Jenny Rush and Emily Baudin both had a pair of service aces, and the duo combined to score on over half of their serves. Bush led the team in kills with nine, one more than Taylor Bauer. Tiffany Wentworth had five kills in six attempts, and led the team with 25 assists.
 
The 2-0 Prairie Stars will be in action again on Saturday at the Capital Classic with a 1 p.m. game versus Missouri Western and a 7:30 p.m. contest against Northern Michigan. Both of those teams also went 2-0 on the first day of the event.