The Illinois Springfield volleyball team split a pair of matches in Owensboro, Ky. on Friday. UIS opened the day with their first loss of the season, falling in straight sets with scores of 25-17, 25-22, and 25-23. In their match against Kentucky Wesleyan, Illinois Springfield secured a decisive 25-21, 25-19, 25-21 victory. 

MSU-Mankato 3 | UIS 0

• Set 1: UIS was outpaced by Minnesota State's aggressive hitting and solid defense, resulting in a 25-17 loss
• Set 2: UIS put together a 7-3 run late in the second set but ultimately fell 25-22 as Mankato capitalized on critical points
• Set 3: The closest set of the match saw UIS tied at 12-12 and within two points until Mankato pulled ahead to win 25-23. Makenna Cox delivered a couple of key kills, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit
• Eirini Glynou led the Prairie Stars with 13 kills and a .273 hitting percentage
• UIS fell to 4-1 with the loss whille Mankato is off to a 9-0 start this season 

Stats at a Glance:

• Kills: UIS 37, MSU 39
• Hitting Percentage: UIS .127, MSU .200
• Assists: UIS 36, MSU 38
• Service Aces: UIS 3, MSU 5
• Digs: UIS 58, MSU 51
• Blocks: UIS 7, MSU 15

UIS 3 | KWC 0

• Set 1: UIS established dominance early, with a series of powerful attacks. The Prairie Stars accumulated 13 kills and maintained a .242 hitting percentage, leading them to a 25-21 win 
• Set 2: The Prairie Stars continued their momentum with 11 kills and a .212 hitting percentage
• Set 3: UIS secured the match with a 25-19 win despite offensive improvement from Kentucky Wesleyan. UIS recorded 13 kills and a .286 hitting percentage
• With this win, UIS improves to 5-1 on the season while Kentucky Wesleyan remains winless at 0-6
• Makenna Cox led the team with 17 kills and a .238 hitting percentage while Eirini Glynou contributed 8 kills and a .259 hitting percentage, adding depth to the UIS attack
• Anna Laincz provided a strong defensive presence with 11 digs
• Setter Erica Sledge's distribition skills came through once again as she totaled 31 assists

Stats at a Glance:

• Kills: UIS 37, KWC 36
• Hitting Percentage: UIS .248, KWC .147
• Assists: UIS 34, KWC 33
• Service Aces: UIS 8, KWC 6
• Digs: UIS 53, KWC 48
• Blocks: UIS 2, KWC 2

Up Next
The Prairie Stars will continue play at the Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational on Saturday, facing West Alabama at 9:00 a.m. and Thomas More at 3:00 p.m.