The University of Illinois Springfield volleyball team remained undefeated by defeating Newman and St. Edwards on Saturday. The Prairie Stars completed clean sweeps against all four of their NCAA DII opponents at the Hilltopper Classic over the weekend.
UIS 3 | Newman 0
- The Prairie Stars showcased their offensive depth and efficiency, outpacing the Jets in every set to maintain their unbeaten record
- Set 1: The Prairie Stars came out strong, hitting .250 with 15 kills on 40 attempts. Newman managed 12 kills but was held to a .171 hitting percentage as UIS took the set 25-21
- Set 2: UIS continued their dominance, hitting .270 with 16 kills on 37 attempts to win the second set 25-18. Newman struggled offensively, recording 11 kills and a .108 hitting percentage
- Set 3: The Prairie Stars sealed the match with another 25-18 set victory, again hitting .270 with 16 kills and holding Newman to 10 kills and a .088 hitting percentage
- The UIS offense was led by Makenna Cox, who tallied 15 kills on 34 attempts with a .324 hitting percentage. Eirini Glynou added 11 kills, while Gabriella Ricci contributed 7 kills, hitting .500 in two sets. Setter Erica Sledge orchestrated the attack with 38 assists
- UIS delivered a well-rounded performance, hitting .263 as a team with 47 kills compared to Newman's .125 hitting percentage and 19 kills
- Kills: UIS 47, Newman 33
- Hitting Percentage: UIS .263, Newman .125
- Assists: UIS 46, Newman 26
- Service Aces: UIS 3, Newman 1
- Digs: UIS 39, Newman 25
- Blocks: UIS 5, Newman 4
- Set 1: UIS hit .273 with 13 kills on 33 attempts while limiting St. Edward's to just 9 kills and a .081 hitting percentage. The Prairie Stars took the set 25-16
- Set 2: In the second set, UIS improved further, hitting .310 with 11 kills on 29 attempts. St. Edward's struggled offensively, hitting only .098 as the Prairie Stars cruised to a 25-15 set win
- Set 3: The final set was more competitive, but UIS held firm, winning 26-24. They posted 16 kills on 42 attempts, while St. Edward's had 13 kills on 34 attempts, hitting .265
- Makenna Cox led the offensive charge for UIS with 13 kills on 37 attempts, hitting .243. Eirini Glynou also contributed 10 kills with a .360 hitting percentage. Anna Laincz added 10 kills with a .400 hitting percentage
- Erica Sledge orchestrated the offense with 26 assists, while Haley Allen tallied 3 assists
- Kills: UIS 40, SEU 34
- Hitting Percentage: UIS .260, SEU .143
- Assists: UIS 35, SEU 32
- Service Aces: UIS 3, SEU 0
- Digs: UIS 32, SEU 25
- Blocks: UIS 5, SEU 4
UIS is set to compete at the Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational in Owensboro, Ky. next weekend. The Prairie Stars will face Minnesota State-Mankato and host Kentucky Wesleyan on Friday, Sept. 13, followed by matchups against West Alabama and Thomas More on Saturday, Sept. 14.