VOLL v UIC (18 SEP 15) - Highlights

Box Score | Season Stats

DENVER - The University of Denver volleyball team (9-3) defeated Illinois-Chicago (5-6) in straight sets (25-23, 25-19, 25-20) Friday in its first match of the Denver Invitational.

The Pioneers hit .321 in the match, with nine fewer attacking errors in the match than UIC. The Flames also struggled from the service line, tallying 13 service errors in the match compared to Denver's three.

Kayla Principato (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) led Denver with 10 kills a hit .421, while Moni Corrujedo (El Paso, Texas) recorded nine kills and hit .474. Three other Pioneers performed well offensively as Sarah Schmid (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) hit a career high .714 with five kills on seven attempts, and Emma Willis (La Jolla, Calif.) and Nola Basey (Lyons, Colo.) hit .667 and .400, respectively.

Monique Domme (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the DU setters with 18 assists, and libero Cassidy Rooke (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) led all players with 10 digs in the match.

Denver and UIC fought through 12 ties before the Pioneers claimed the lead for good at 21-20. Willis played well for DU in her second start. Willis recorded a 1.00 hitting percentage with two kills as well as two block assists. Corrujedo led the Pioneers with four kills in the first set. UIC went on a late run 3-1 before a kill from Basey won the first for Denver 25-23.

The Pioneers led the Flames from start to finish in the second set, ultimately claiming the set 25-19. Denver hit .346 to UIC's .222 in the second set, with only three errors in the set. Principato led Denver with five kills, while Schmid, Rooke and Basey all hit 1.00 in the set.

DU carried the momentum of the second set into the third, coming out to a 6-2 lead. The Flames battled back to tie the match at 12 before a service error by UIC sparked a 5-0 run by the Pioneers. Denver maintained the lead for the rest of the set, winning 25-20 after a kill by Principato. Corrujedo and Basey each tallied three kills in the set, leading the Pioneers in the final set.

The Pioneers will continue play as they host Montana and Abilene Christian in day two of the Denver Invitational tomorrow. Denver will face Montana tomorrow at 12 p.m. in a match that will air on Altitude 2 and will take on Abilene Christian tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the final match of the Denver Invitational.

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