CHICAGO – The UIC volleyball team returns to the comfort of home as the Flames open up four consecutive home matches this Friday, taking on Youngstown State. First serve is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
 
Last Time Out
•             The Flames wrapped up a three-match roadtrip with a 1-2 record, dropping 3-1 decisions to Oakland and league-leading Milwaukee while defeating Cleveland State, 3-1, in the team's second match of the trip.
•             Sohila Wafeek handled the setting duties to a tune of 10.33 per set while Paola Santiago (3.92 kills/set) and Martina Delucchi (3.33 k/s) were her top targets.
•             Freshman Kayanna Jones made her UIC debut this past weekend, appearing in all 12 sets, picking up 17 kills and ranking first on the team with 10 total blocks (1 solo, 9 assist).
 
Delucchi Earns Player of the Week Honors
•             Sophomore outside hitter Martina Delucchi was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Sept. 15. The award is the first for the Flames this season and first in the career of Delucchi.
•             Delucchi was named to the All-Tournament Team of the UIC Invitational after leading the Flames to a 2-1 record and a three-way tie for the tournament title.
•             Delucchi led the team in kills in all three matches, finishing with a team-high 49 kills. Her 49 kills over the three matches were more than twice as many as the next closest Flame. In UIC's 3-1 win over Chicago State, Delucchi finished with a career-high 21 kills, connecting at a .375 hitting percentage while recording 5.25 kills per set.
 •            The sophomore added 17 kills against Eastern Michigan and 11 kills in UIC's sweep of Belmont. For the weekend, Delucchi recorded 4.45 kills per set while matching the team lead with five aces.
 
Serve It Up
•             The Flames have excelled all year from the service line, ranking 28th nationally with 117 aces on the year. As a team, UIC averages 1.72 per set, third-best in the conference.
•             Individually, Martina Delucchi ranks fourth in the Horizon League and 31st nationally with a team-leading 28 aces this year.
•             Delucchi has six matches this year with two or more aces, including a career-high four aces in UIC's match against Green Bay on Sept. 28.
 
Swing Away
•             As a team, the UIC offense ranks third in the Horizon League with 13.18 kills per set.
•             Individually, Becca Oldendorf is one of the most efficient hitters in the conference, connecting at a .328 hitting percentage to rank second in the Horizon League.
•             As a result of their high-performing offense, UIC ranks third in the conference with 12.25 assists per set this year.
•             UIC has been averaging 37.34 attacks per set, second-most in the Horizon League and 28th nationally.