DAYTON, Ohio – The UIC volleyball team (14-3, 14-1 HL) saw its historic season come to an end on Saturday afternoon after dropping a hard-fought five set battle (25-19, 19-25, 25-22, 15-25, 6-15) in the Horizon League Championship match against the No. 1 seed Wright State (16-1, 15-0 HL). The Flames came out with a bang, taking set one by a 25-19 tally, but the Raiders immediately replied with a 25-19 win of their own in set two. The Flames went back in the lead with a 25-22 comeback win in set three, but the Raiders dominated the final two sets to take the match.

Set One Highlights

• The Flames expanded on a two-point lead, 15-13, scoring three-straight off a WSU service error and kills from Martina Delucchi and Zahria Woodard, 18-13.
• A UIC service error gave the Raiders the side out, but the Flames scored the next two, 20-14.
• The two teams traded off points until the Raiders put together a kill and a block to pull within four, 22-18.
• UIC took three of the last four to finish off Wright State, 25-19.

Set Two Highlights

• The Raiders jumped out to a 17-11 lead in set two.
• Woodard put away a kill, but the next three went to the Raiders, 20-12.
• UIC took three of the next four, 22-15, and it took the next four-straight after that, thanks to three-straight Paola Santiago kills and a Santiago/Becca Oldendorf block, 22-19.
• Wright State took the final three points in-a-row, 25-19, tying the match at one set apiece.

Set Three Highlights

• A 7-0 run for the home team gave them a 10-7 advantage.
• Kills from Jaclyn Obelna, Santiago and Delucchi put the Flames within one, 13-12.
• The Raiders created distance, taking four of the next five, 17-13.
• UIC scored six of the next seven to take over the lead, 19-18. The run featured kills from Delucchi, Santiago and Alex Hicks, as well as a pair of Delucchi service aces.
• Tied at 20, the Flames scored three-straight, thanks to back-to-back Santiago terminations and a Wright State miscue, 23-20.
• The Raiders threatened with a kill and a UIC attack error, 23-22, but a pair of Wright State errors ended the set in favor of the Flames, 25-22.

Set Four Highlights

• Wright State took a comfortable lead early in set four, 14-6, and never looked back.
• Woodard and Mikala Henderson put down kills as part of a 3-0 run for the Flames, 14-9, but a later 3-0 run for the Raiders increased the gap, 19-11.
• The Flames were unable to summon a comeback, falling 25-15.

Set Five Highlights

• The Raiders carried their momentum into the tiebreaker, taking five of the first six points for a 5-1 lead.
• Oldendorf and Delucchi found the floor for UIC, putting the Flames within two, 5-3, but Wright State took the next three, 8-3.
• The Flames were once again unable to summon a comeback, falling by a final tally of 15-6.

Facts & Figures

• Paola Santiago finished the season with her ninth double-double, turning in a game-high 17 kills to go with 14 digs.
• Martina Delucchi also double-doubled for the sixth time this season, bringing in 11 kills and 16 digs. The freshman also served up a trio of aces.
• Both Santiago and Delucchi were named to the Horizon League's All-Tournament Team.
• Morgan Kull registered her eighth double-double of the season, handing out 22 assists to go with 10 digs.
• Mikala Henderson and Alexandria Hicks both finished with seven kills apiece. Hicks also made a team-high four total blocks.
• Libero Jaclyn Oblena recorded a team-high 18 digs.
• Sohila Wafeek handed out 22 assists and also contributed six digs on defense.
• The Raiders were more efficient attackers, hitting .217 (53k-19e-157a) on the day, while the Flames hit .101 (54k-36e-179a).
• Wright State had the advantage in digs, 81-75, as well as blocks, 17-6. Both teams handed out an even 51 assists.