The UIS volleyball team picked up its first GLVC victory of the season on Friday night, sweeping William Jewell at TRAC. The Prairie Stars snapped their recent skid and looked sharp across all phases, winning by set scores of 26-24, 25-14, and 25-15. UIS improves to 7-8 overall and 1-4 in conference play with the win.
The opening set was tightly contested, with UIS edging the Cardinals 26-24 behind balanced offense and key late points. The Stars hit .200 in the frame with 13 kills while holding William Jewell to eight kills.
UIS took control in the second set, cruising to a 25-14 win. The Prairie Stars posted a .387 hitting percentage on 16 kills and just four errors, forcing William Jewell onto the defensive and dictating the pace.
In the third set, UIS closed out the sweep 25-15, hitting .351 with 17 kills and four errors. Efficient serving and consistent execution helped the Stars finish strong.
UIS finished with 46 kills to William Jewell's 20, while also tallying 36 assists and 61 digs in the three-set victory. The Stars were strong at the service line as well, recording eight aces on the night.
Makenna Cox led the offense with 14 kills, 3 blocks, and 11 digs for 18 points, while
Madison Siefken added 10 kills and 3 blocks.
Erica Sledge anchored the team with 28 assists and 14 digs and contributed 5 kills at a .833 hitting percentage.
Madeline Mendelblatt also chipped in 5 kills, and
Kaitlyn Taylor and
Tuana Yuce each had 11-dig performances.
"It was great to see the team show up strong against William Jewell," said Coach Ulrich. "They've been pushing each other all week at practice and their hard work paid off!"
Up Next
The Prairie Stars return to action Saturday at 3 p.m. for their Dig Pink Game against Rockhurst inside TRAC.
