By Patrick Stumpf
CHICAGO, Ill. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The Green Bay volleyball team tallied a season-high .370 hitting percentage on Friday night, recording its second consecutive Horizon League sweep over UIC (25-18, 25-14, 25-20) at the Flames Athletic Center in the Windy City.
The Phoenix received stellar offensive play from all over the court, including junior Megan Powers (team-high 12 kills/.579 percentage) and freshman Jessica Wolf (10 kills/, .643 percentage), and ended the clinching set by scoring 10 of the last 12 points after trailing the Flames 18-15.
"It is very tough to go on the road in the Horizon League and get wins," said head coach Sean Burdette, who became the first coach to lead the program to back-to-back sweeps in Horizon League play since Debbie Kirch in 2005. "Our players came out focused and determined tonight, and Emily (Riese) ran a great offense. She put her hitters in really good positions to score points."
"(Assistant coach) Jeannette (Waldo) had a really strong defensive game plan and the players executed. It was a very balanced attack on offense and defense."
Green Bay hit .354 and .364 in the first and second sets, respectively against the Flames, who is in the midst of a four-game homestand. After jumping out to an early 19-13 edge in set No. 1, a kill from sophomore Taylor Totka and attack error on UIC gave the Phoenix the opening set, 25-18.
The team picked up right where it left off in set No. 2, getting out in front by a score of 9-4 following a kill by Abby Jeffcoat to draw an early Flames timeout. UIC ended a five-point run by Green Bay minutes later, but not before the Phoenix had extended its lead to nine points, 20-11. Wolf gave Green Bay a 2-0 lead on an ensuing kill.
UIC battled out of the intermission, led by senior middle blocker Stephenee Yancy, who recorded a match-high 16 kills, and held a five-point edge on two separate occasions throughout the third frame, both at 10-5 and 11-6. However, Green Bay mounted rallies in both instances, ending the game with five straight points to win it.
BOX SCORE – GREEN BAY 3, UIC 0
UP NEXT
The Phoenix will travel to Valparaiso, Ind., to take on the Crusaders tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. Green Bay, who is 10-22 against Valparaiso all-time, will look to avenge a pair of losses against the Crusaders last year (3-0, 3-0) and win its first road match against them since a five-set winner on Oct. 22, 2011, in the process.
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