DES MOINES, Iowa — UIC had already built two substantial early leads by the time Drake made the fourth set uncomfortable. The Flames’ response to the late pressure mattered more than either of those opening runs.
Down 19–16 in the fourth and later trailing 23–22, UIC recovered to beat Drake 25–19, 25–18, 21–25, 25–23 on Friday night at the Knapp Center. Tamara Kisic finished with 21 kills as the Flames won their fourth consecutive Missouri Valley Conference match and moved above .500 in league play at 4–3.
UIC improved to 8–11 overall. Drake fell to 8–11 and 3–4 in the Valley. The teams entered the night level in conference wins and losses, but the Flames left with the road victory and a chance to extend their run Saturday at Northern Iowa.
Kisic made her 21 kills count without giving many points back. She committed only two attacking errors in 43 attempts, finishing with a .442 hitting percentage and eight digs. Her efficiency supplied UIC with a dependable scoring option across a match that shifted from early control to a close finish.
The final three points captured the difference between forcing a fifth set and getting out of Des Moines with the win. Gabi Peter converted a kill from Paulina Ströh to tie the fourth set at 23–23. A Drake attacking error brought UIC to match point. Elizabeth King and Mihaela Harizanova then combined on the block that stopped Bliss Beck and completed the match.
That finish followed an earlier recovery in the same set. Drake had moved ahead 19–16 after a Caroline Smith kill, a Katie Quick kill and a Beck ace. UIC answered with a Robyn Ward kill, a block from Peter and Ward, another Drake attacking error and an Emma Colombari kill. Four straight points put the Flames ahead 20–19, setting up a closing stretch in which neither team could hold the lead for long.
Ward gave UIC production on both sides of the net. The freshman finished with eight kills and no attacking errors in 15 attempts, a .533 hitting percentage, and seven blocks. Peter added nine kills and six blocks. Colombari contributed eight kills and 19 digs, helping the Flames keep rallies alive even when the first attack did not end the point.
Ava Young led UIC with 21 digs and supplied six assists. Ströh finished with 27 assists and 14 digs, while Harizanova added 21 assists and three service aces. The Flames finished with 57 kills and hit .230, compared with Drake’s 49 kills and .124 hitting percentage.
UIC’s opening-set advantage came through a long stretch on Colombari’s serve. With the score tied 6–6, the Flames won seven consecutive points to take a 13–6 lead. That run included attacking points, blocks and a Colombari ace, giving UIC several ways to score while Drake struggled to end the rotation. The Bulldogs later closed within 19–15, but the Flames held enough of their lead to finish the set by six.
The second set followed a similar pattern. A 4–4 tie became an 11–4 UIC lead during another seven-point run. Peter supplied the first kill of that stretch, with Harizanova serving through the next six points. Kisic contributed three kills during the surge. UIC closed the set on a Ward kill from Harizanova and reached the interval one set from a sweep.
Drake’s offense changed the third set. The Bulldogs produced 19 kills and hit .280, their best attacking frame of the night. Kamryn Behrns and Smith gave Drake enough scoring to recover from an early 4–0 deficit and extend the match. UIC saved two set points late, reducing a 24–19 gap to 24–21, before the Bulldogs finished the set.
Behrns led Drake with 18 kills and ten digs. Smith added 15 kills, while Quick finished with 40 assists. Jasmine Dulan collected a match-high 25 digs. Those performances kept Drake in contention after its difficult opening two sets and created the fourth-set lead UIC had to overcome.
The Flames’ final set was also their most efficient on offense: 16 kills against four errors in 37 attempts, good for a .324 hitting percentage. After Drake had raised its level in the third, UIC improved its own attacking output rather than allowing the match to drift into a deciding set.
UIC’s weekend continues Saturday with a 5 p.m. Central match at Northern Iowa. Friday’s win gives the Flames a fourth straight conference result to carry into that trip. Kisic’s scoring made the largest contribution on the stat sheet, but the late kills, recovered lead and final shared block turned it into a completed road win.
