UIC Closes a Tight Third Set to Sweep Valparaiso

CHICAGO — UIC needed extra points to finish the third set Thursday, but it left Credit Union 1 Arena with a three-set victory and a winning Missouri Valley Conference record. The Flames defeated Valparaiso 25–18, 25–22, 28–26, improving to 9–12 overall and 5–4 in league play.

Emma Colombari led UIC with 13 kills and eight digs. Ana Petrides added 10 kills and five block assists, while Tamara Kisic contributed nine kills. The Flames finished with 46 kills and a .263 hitting percentage, compared with Valparaiso’s 40 kills and .181. UIC also led 10–7 in blocks and 5–1 in service aces.

The first set supplied the largest margin, but the rest of the match demanded more work. The second set featured 13 ties and five lead changes. A late 5–1 UIC run produced a 21–18 advantage, creating enough separation for the Flames to finish the set without allowing the Beacons to reset the match at one set apiece.

Valparaiso kept the third set competitive through the closing points. UIC used a 6–2 run to reach a 25–24 advantage, but the teams continued through ties at 25 and 26. Consecutive kills by Sasha Pellettieri and Colombari finally ended the match. The sequence converted a narrow late opening into a sweep rather than allowing another set to extend the evening.

The final attacking totals help explain why UIC could withstand those close stretches. The Flames made 15 attack errors on 118 attempts; Valparaiso made 19 on 116. With similar numbers of swings, UIC turned more of its opportunities into points and gave away fewer through attacking errors. That efficiency supported the advantage at the net and service line.

Valparaiso fell to 11–10 overall and 3–6 in the conference. UIC has a short turnaround before its next home match: Indiana State visits Friday, October 23, at 6 p.m. Central. The Flames enter that match having completed Thursday’s assignment in three sets, including a third set that required them to win beyond the usual finish line.