The University of Illinois Springfield volleyball team won one of its closest matches of the season on Friday night in St. Charles, Mo. The Prairie Stars defeated Lindenwood in a GLVC match by a 3-1 score.
 
All four sets were decided by three points or less, including the last two having 28-26 scores. UIS was the better team late in the sets which helped it earn the road victory.
 
The opener was tied at 19 when the Prairie Stars went on a 3-0 run. Both teams had sideouts the rest of the way as UIS won 25-22.
 
UIS trailed 19-16 in set number two, but the Prairie Stars went on a 6-1 run to take the lead. Lindenwood answered with a 3-0 run to retake a 23-22 lead. After a service error tied the game, Emma Konie had a service ace, and Angela Denney ended the set by a 25-23 score with a kill.
 
UIS used another late rally in the third set to have two match points, but Lindenwood won both points. The Lions scored three straight after the second match point for a 28-26 victory.
 
The fourth and final set saw the two teams tied at every point between 21 and 26. A service error gave UIS its fifth match point of the night, and this time Brianna Bush finished the Lions with a kill.
 
The close match was reflected in the stats. Lindenwood had a 67-66 edge in kills, but UIS had an 82-74 advantage in points. The Prairie Stars had seven service aces, compared to three for the Lions. UIS also had nine blocks, five more than the home team.
 
Bush had one of the top offensive nights of her career. She recorded 17 kills, two shy of her career high, and she hit .600. Sixth-eight percent of her attacks ended in kills. Ryleigh Warfel finished with 15 kills, Denney had 11, and Hannah Nicolaisen and Megan Krasowski each had 10. Warfel and Nicolaisen also both hit over .300.
 
Becca Blakeley had a team-high 52 assists, and 40 percent of her sets led to kills. Blakeley also had a team-high five blocks. Amanda McDonnell finished with 11 digs, and Nicolaisen had three service aces.
 
UIS improves to 11-14 overall and 7-7 in GLVC play. The Prairie Stars look to move back above .500 in conference action on Saturday with an afternoon game at Truman State.