CHICAGO – SIUE volleyball dropped a pair of matches on Friday at the UIC Invitational inside Credit Union 1 Arena. The Cougars squared off against host UIC to open the tournament and capped the day against Western Michigan.

"I am really pleased with how our team battled today," Head Coach Kendall Paulus said. "We fought hard, and it showed up in our dig total. We are getting stronger in our connections each game."

Match 1: SIUE at UIC

UIC used a .315 attack percentage to sweep SIUE in three sets with scores of 18-25, 20-25, and 23-25. The Cougars concluded the contest with a .198 clip on 34 kills and 86 total attacks. SIUE knotted the contest nine times in the first set, but the Flames remained hot and led the entire second set before taking victory after three.

Inside the Numbers

• Chelsey Abel led the Cougars with nine kills on 15 attacks, good for a .467 attack percentage. She also led SIUE with three blocks.
• Sophomore Bree Schreimann contributed six kills while Julia Treichel, Priscilla Jones, and Ainsley Ranstead added five each.
• Alyse Drifka led the setting efforts for SIUE, finishing the contest with 15 assists. Corinna Jones contributed 14.
• From the service line, Priscilla Jones led the Cougars with two service aces.
• On defense, freshman Abi Banitt led SIUE with nine digs.

 Match 2: SIUE vs. Western Michigan

Julia Treichel and Corinna Jones earned their first double-doubles of the season, but Western Michigan used a .219 hitting percentage to down SIUE in four sets with scores of 20-25, 18-25, 25-20, and 20-25. The Cougars picked up a season-high 62 digs in the contest while outblocking the Broncos 11-4. SIUE finished the contest with seven service aces.

Inside the Numbers

• Treichel led the Cougars with 10 kills on 29 attacks. She added 11 digs for her first double-double of the season.
• Corinna Jones also picked up a double-double, finishing the contest with a team-high 20 assists while grabbing 10 digs. Drifka added 18 assists. She also led SIUE with three service aces.
• Banitt led the Cougars while earning a season-high 24 digs.
• Schreimann, Jones, and Sydney Hummert each contributed nine kills apiece. Schreimann wrapped the contest with a .280 clip on 25 attacks.
• At the net, Chelsey Abel, Priscilla Jones, and Hummert tallied five blocks each.

Up Next: The Cougars return to the court to close out the UIC Invitational on Saturday, Sep. 2 for a meeting with UAB. First serve is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

Stay connected with the Cougars all season long by following @SIUEVolleyball on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.