UIC Invitational Preview

Belmont (2-1) vs. UIC (2-4) | Friday, Sept. 10 | 12:00 p.m.

ESPN+ | Live Stats

Belmont (2-1) vs. Chicago State (4-2) | Friday, Sept. 10 | 4:00 p.m.

Live Stats

Belmont (2-1) vs. Eastern Michigan (2-3) | Saturday, Sept. 11 | 12:00 p.m.

Live Stats

Flames Athletic Center | Chicago, Illinois

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Belmont University volleyball will be in Chicago on Friday for Day One of the UIC Invitational from the Flames Athletic Center. 

The Bruins kick off their weekend with a match against host-school University of Illinois-Chicago on Friday at 12:00 p.m. CST before turning around and taking on Chicago State just a few hours later at 4:00 p.m. CST. Belmont will then wrap up the UIC Invite with a big match against MAC-member Eastern Michigan on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST. 

Friday's match against UIC will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can follow the action against Chicago State and Eastern Michigan via the live stats monitor. 

WHAT'S BRUIN 

• Belmont picked up some big momentum to begin their fall campaign by winning two out of three matches at the Music City Invitational last weekend at the Curb Event Center. The Bruins swept Alcorn State, 3-0, then took down North Alabama, 3-1, on the first day of action before coming up just short in a 1-3 loss to Indiana State on the final day of the tournament 

• Laura Shoopman was a consistent offensive threat all tournament long, picking up 39 kills across the three matches, including 18 against North Alabama. The junior also tallied seven service aces and hit .309 on her way to being named to the All-Tournament team 

• Rachel McBride was the other Bruin named to the All-Tournament team, gathering a team-high 43 digs and only recording two reception errors on 50 total attempts 

• Taylor Floyd picked up right where she left off after a stellar Spring 2021 season, collecting 31 kills over three matches, good for second on the team behind Shoopman 

• Carly Mason was the primary facilitator for the Bruins attack, dishing out 75 assists 

• Belmont was lights out from behind the service line in the season opener against Alcorn State, putting the Lady Braves on their heels en route to a season-high ten aces 

• The first match of the weekend against UIC will be the second all-time meeting between the two programs: Belmont beat UIC, 3-1, on Sept. 15, 2012 at the Curb Event Center

• Friday evening's match against Chicago State will be the fifth meeting all-time between the Bruins and Cougars. Belmont has won three out of four against Chicago State dating back to 2002

• Saturday's contest against Eastern Michigan will be the first meeting all-time between the Eagles and Bruins 

UIC PREVIEW 

• The Flames come in to Fall 2021 with high expectations after being picked to finish second in the Horizon League Preseason Poll 

• UIC went 13-1 in conference play in Spring 2021 and advanced to the Horizon League championship game for the first time since 2012 

• The Flames are led by reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year Becca Oldendorf (19 blocks), All-League First Team selection Paola Santiago (3.43 kills/set), and All-Freshmen selections Martina Delucchi (3.17 kills/set) and Jaclyn Oblena (75 digs) 

CHICAGO STATE PREVIEW 

• The Cougars have jumped out to a 4-2 start to begin their season, picking up wins over North Dakota State and Niagra in the process 

• Newcomer Jaclyn Inclan, a transfer from the University of New Mexcio, has taken over the starting setter job and dished out a season-high 47 assists in a win over IUPUI 

• Chicago State is led offensively by reigning WAC Offensive Player of the Week Yanlis Feliz. The outside hitter racked up 6.40 kills per set over three matches at the Windy City Classic last weekend, including a career-best performance in a 3-0 sweep of North Dakota State, where she put up 27 kills on a .426 hitting percentage 

EASTERN MICHIGAN PREVIEW 

• Eastern Michigan was picked to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference West Division by the conference's 12 head coaches 

• Eastern Michigan and Belmont have one common opponent: Indiana State. Both the Eagles and Bruins fell in four sets to the Sycamores 

• The Eagles return their star setter, Jayden Otto, who racked up an even 800 assists over 20 matches in the spring of 2021, in addition to one of the top middle blockers in the MAC, Raevan Chase, who led the conference in total blocks last season with 100. 

UP NEXT 

Belmont has a much-anticipated Battle of the Boulevard date with Lipscomb on Tuesday, Sept. 14. The match, at Allen Arena on Lipscomb's campus, will be streamed on ESPN+. The Bruins lead the all-time series with the Bisons, 26-18.