UIS defeated Davis & Elkins by a score of 3-0 on Friday, taking the sets 25-15, 25-13, 25-22. The Prairie Stars finished with 40 kills and a .236 hitting percentage while limiting Davis & Elkins to 25 kills and a .039 percentage.

Illinois Springfield turned a 2-2 tie into an 8-2 lead with a six-point run that included a Maddie Mendelblatt kill and two service aces. Makenna Cox added three kills in the closing stretch of the strong first set, and Mendelblatt finished it with a kill to give the Prairie Stars a 25-15 set win.

The Prairie Stars turned the second set early, winning seven of eight rallies to go up 12-5. In that stretch, Cox recorded three kills and Marley Christy adding a kill and a service ace. The Prairie Stars later scored four straight points to reach 24-12 and finished the set 25-13 on another Cox kill from Siefken.

After Davis & Elkins tied the third set at 13-13, Illinois Springfield answered with a four-point stretch that included kills by Makenna Cox and Alexis Schwartz. Cox added key late offense, including kills that helped push the Prairie Stars to 20-15 and 22-17. Davis & Elkins scored four straight after Illinois Springfield went ahead 24-18, but the Prairie Stars finished the set at 25-22.

Makenna Cox recorded 19 kills while hitting .405 and added six digs, two block assists and a service ace for 21.0 points. Madi Siefken finished with 23 assists, nine digs, two block assists and a service ace. Tuana Yuce collected 13 digs and added three kills on four attacks. Maddie Mendelblatt posted four block assists and two kills.

"It was great to get a win on the road," shared Head Coach Laura Ulrich. "The team took care of business and I am excited to see the continued growth throughout the weekend." 

Up next, the Prairie Stars face UA-Fort Smith on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 2 p.m., followed by Kentucky Wesleyan at 7 p.m.