CHICAGO – The UIC volleyball team picked up its eighth sweep of the season Friday evening, taking down Indiana State, 3-0, inside the Flames Athletic Center.
 
Martina Delucchi led all players with 18 kills while Paola Santiago added 10 for the Flames. Jaclyn Oblena had a match-high 12 digs and Sohila Wafeek recorded a double-double with 35 assists and 10 digs.
 
The two squads would battle back and forth in the opening set, as back-to-back Indiana State points evened the match at 11-all. A Delucchi kill would follow and kick-start an 11-2 UIC run to build a comfortable 22-13 lead. Santaigo's kill from the outside a few points later sealed the 25-15 victory.
 
It was much of the same in the second set, as a late UIC surge gave the hosts a 2-0 lead. After Indiana State took a 17-16 lead, six consecutive points by the Flames pushed UIC back in front by a 22-17 margin. The Flames had set point at 24-20, but three-straight Indiana State points pulled the visitors within one at 24-23. Delucchi picked up another kill from the Wafeek set to cap off the 25-23 victory and extend UIC's lead in the match to 2-0.
 
UIC's offense, paired with two service aces, propelled the Flames to an early 9-1 lead in the third and final set. The cushion was more than enough, as the Flames held at least a six-point lead for the remainder of the set.
 
The Flames look to push the winning streak to four in a row Saturday evening when UIC plays host to Evansville. First serve is set for 5 p.m.