INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI had its team captain return and took the first set against UIC but could not hold on, dropping its Horizon League opener 3-1 to the Flames.

Senior Abby Boatman played in her first game of the season for the Jags (3-12, 0-1 Horizon) and contributed with 11 kills, six digs and three blocks, while effecting multiple attack attempts by UIC (8-6, 1-0 Horizon).

"Having your team captain back is really helpful," said head coach Steve Payne. "Having your team leader out there, she is a big part of our defense and our offense."

The Jags finished with four players in double-digit kills with Elizabeth Scott leading the way with 12. Haley Hoffman tied Boatman with 11 and McKayla Wright added 10. The offense was paced by Rebecca Schlechte who finished with a career-high 48 assists.

On the defensive end, IUPUI was led by Rhiannon Schuenemann's 18 digs, followed by 16 from Scott, 15 from Schlechte and 10 each from Wright and Rachel Hickey. Maddie Dean and Hoffman led the Jags with four blocks and Schlechte added three to go along with three kills from the setter.

IUPUI came out of the gates hot, hitting a match-best .222 in the first set. The Jags used a 7-2 run early in the set to jump out to an 8-4 lead, highlighted by kills by Wright and Boatman. With the score knotted at 11, IUPUI took control of the frame begging with a kill by Wright. After a Hoffman kill and a UIC error, Wright's second kill of the run put the Jags up four. Following the media timeout, another kill by Wright and one from Hoffman put the Jags up 17-11. UIC would get no closer than four the rest of the way and Dean would end the set with a kill giving IUPUI its first set one win in its last six matches.

"I thought we started out really strong and playing energetic" said Payne. "We did everything we needed. It's okay to lose that second set but we lost some momentum after losing the third set in extra points."

UIC responded in a back-and-forth set two, tying the match at 1-1. In the second set the Flames offense came alive, hitting at a .375 clip after hitting only .095 in the first set.

A kill by Boatman and a UIC error put IUPUI in control of set three 11-7 but UIC battled back. With the Jags up four after a kill by Wright, UIC scored three-straight to pull within one. IUPUI took a two point lead at 21-19 after a Scott kill but the Flames responded with three to take a one point lead. Back-to-back kills by Scott after the timeout put the Jags back on top but a service error knotted the frame.

IUPUI earned three-straight set points but each time UIC had an answer and earned their own set point at 27-26. A kill by UIC's Manuela Conte ended the set and UIC pulled out the set win 28-26.

The air seemed to come out of the Jags sails after the third set loss, falling behind 5-0 and 7-1 early in the fourth set. IUPUI would try to make a comeback but could not get any closer than two as UIC ended the match on a 3-0 run.

IUPUI continues conference play on Saturday (Sept. 22) when the Jags will host a Green Bay Phoenix team that lost 3-1 to Northern Kentucky to start the Horizon League schedule.