MACOMB, Ill. - Junior Erin Frick led Western Illinois with 12 kills, while Sarah Trimpe picked up her ninth double-double of the season, but it wasn't enough as UIC defeated Western, 3-1 (25-18, 25-14, 25-21, 25-22), Tuesday.

"Erin has done a great job of finding kills," Western Illinois head coach Kym McKay said. "With tips and big swings, she's using the whole court and it's great to see it match after match."

The Westerwinds (7-15) took the third set from the Flames (11-12) with a .255 team hitting percentage to UIC's .130. Freshman Megan Toczek led the third set in kills with five for a team-total of 18, in comparison to the Flames' 10. A solo block from freshman Cait Egan was the only block in the set. Freshman Krissy Bergquist led the set in hitting percentage (.500).

Western played UIC point-for-point in the first set as the score was tied on 11 occasions, but the Flames broke away from the final tie at 13-13 to close out the set, 25-18. Errors proved costly for the Westerwinds in set two as they committed eight to the Flames' three. The final set saw eight tied scores with the final tie at 21-21, but a pair of Western errors with a pair of kills by UIC's Megan Hunt ended the match.

"In games one and two we weren't really focused," McKay said. "When the mental game is played well, the physical stuff happens; the two go hand in hand."

Trimpe led in both assists (36) and digs (27), while Summit League Defensive Player of the Week Elise Crnjak recorded 25 digs. Bergquist and Ellen Miller were the only other Westerwinds with double-digit digs with 16 and 10 respectively. Toczek was the only other Western Illinois player to reach double-digit kills with 10.

"We did well, defensively, pursuing all of the tips that UIC gave us. We handled them with quick feet and composure. Elise and Trimpe did a lot," McKay explained.

Western Illinois hits the road for a two-match Summit League weekend, Friday at IUPUI and Sunday at Oral Roberts.