The University of Illinois Springfield volleyball program split a pair of matches on day one of the 2021 Capital Classic. The Prairie Stars defeated Lake Erie in their opening match, before falling to Upper Iowa later in the day.
 
UIS defeated Lake Erie by scores of 25-20, 25-21, and 25-23. The Prairie Stars held their opponent to just .056 hitting for the match, including .023 in the final set. In the third set, UIS trailed 22-16, but scored nine of the final 10 points for the victory.
 
Angela Denney had a team-high 12 kills, and Hannah Nicolaisen had nine kills and a .615 hitting percentage. Amanda McConnell and Regan Trueblood both had double-figure digs, and Kenney Lauck had four blocks. Becca Blakeley had a team-high 18 assists.
 
Upper Iowa picked up a 25-17, 15-25, 25-20, and 25-18 victory over UIS. The Peacocks hit .276 for the match, and had seven more blocks.
 
Brianna Bush hit .560 and had a team-high 14 kills. Denney collected 11 kills, two more than Ryleigh Warfel. Other team leaders were Reagan Trueblood with 23 assists, Denney with two service aces, McConnell with 17 digs, and Bush and Megan Krasowski with three blocks apiece.
 
UIS is now 2-4 on the season. The Prairie Stars face Grand Valley State and Michigan Tech on Saturday on day two of the Capital Classic.