The University of Illinois Springfield volleyball team fell in the first round of the GLVC Tournament on Friday in East Peoria, Ill. The Prairie Stars lost to Missouri-St. Louis by scores of 25-21, 25-12, and 25-10.
 
Missouri-St. Louis won a close first set after winning four of the final five points. The Tritons then used large runs early in the second and third sets to end UIS's season.
 
Missouri-St. Louis finished with 19 more kills, 12 more digs, and five more service aces in the match. The Tritons hit .362, while the Prairie Stars managed to hit just .145.
 
Ryleigh Warfel led UIS with seven kills, one more than Angela Denney and Hannah Nicolaisen. Brianna Bush and Megan Krasowski both finished with five kills. Becca Blakeley had team-highs of 26 assists and two service aces. Amanda McConnell paced the squad with 17 digs, and Denney had 12. Bush was the blocking leader with two.
 
UIS finishes the year with a 14-16 overall record. The Prairie Stars improved by 11 wins over last year's total, one of the biggest one-season improvements in program history.