INDIANAPOLIS – UIC volleyball's Kyisha Hunt has earned a spot the All-League First Team, while newcomers Manuela Conte and Alexandria Hicks have been named to the Freshman Team, the Horizon League announced on Tuesday. All three winners garner the first Horizon League accolades of their career.

Hunt grabs a spot on the All-League First Team after a dominating senior season in which she amassed 429 kills, while hitting at a clip of .249. The senior spent the majority of the season in the top five in the Horizon League's kills category, currently ranking fourth with a 3.67 per set average. The Kankakee, Ill. native has also been a big presence up at the net for the Flames, collecting 68 total blocks this season.

Manuela Conte shined in her role as an outside hitter in her first year at UIC, coming in second on the Flames behind Hunt with 234 kills (2.17 per set) in the regular season. The redshirt freshman is also second on the team in digs, averaging 3.78 per set. Additionally, Conte leads the team in service aces with 30, ranking her sixth in the Horizon League, averaging 0.28 per set. The Bologna, Italy native also leads the Flames with nine double-doubles this season.

Hicks is a member of the Freshman Team following a successful campaign as one of the UIC's two opposites, recording a hitting percentage of .208 (226k-96e-624a). The Carmel, Ind. freshman was also instrumental up front, blocking 72 for the Flames defense. Hicks has recorded double-digit kill efforts on 10 occasions this season, including a career-high 24 against Idaho on Sept. 1.

Hunt, Conte and Hicks, alongside the rest of the UIC volleyball team will travel to Cleveland State this weekend for its first Horizon League Volleyball Championship appearance since 2014. The Flames kick off the tournament with a quarterfinal match against Green Bay on Friday at 5 p.m. CT.
 
2017 Horizon League Volleyball Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Year: Darien Bandel, Oakland
Defensive Player of the Year: Shannon Grega, Cleveland State
Setter of the Year: Gina Kilner, Cleveland State
Coach of the Year: Chuck Voss, Cleveland State
Player of the Year: Darien Bandel, Oakland
Freshman of the Year: Taylor Wolf, Green Bay
 
All-League First Team
Shannon Grega, Cleveland State
Gina Kilner, Cleveland State
Alexis Middlebrooks, Cleveland State
Lydia DeWeese, Green Bay
Taylor Wolf, Green Bay
Haley Hoffman, IUPUI
Kori Waelbroeck, IUPUI
Bridget Wallenberger, Milwaukee
Haley Libs, Northern Kentucky
Darien Bandel, Oakland
Sammy Condon, Oakland
Kyisha Hunt, UIC
 
All-League Honorable Mention
Sara Skeens, Cleveland State
Maddie Yoss, Green Bay
Jenn Dore, Milwaukee
Krysteena Davis, Oakland
Megan Hopkins, Wright State
Jessie Thornton, Wright State
 
Freshman Team
Emily DeGeorge, Cleveland State
Roberta Todd, Green Bay
Taylor Wolf, Green Bay
Bailey Western, Northern Kentucky
Jamie Walling, Oakland
Manuela Conte, UIC
Alexandria Hicks, UIC