CHICAGO – The UIC volleyball team extended its winning streak to five in a row Saturday afternoon as the Flames swept Murray State, 3-0, inside the Flames Athletic Center.
 
The victory completes the weekend sweep for the Flames, who have won four of their last five matches by 3-0 decisions. The lone match that wasn't a sweep was a 3-1 UIC victory.
 
Mikala Henderson led the way with impressive 12 kills on a .611 hitting percentage while Martina Delucchi led all players with a match-high 13 kills. Sohila Wafeek dished out 34 assists while the Flames racked up 8.5 blocks and nine aces on the match.
 
The Flames maintained control throughout the match, trailing at only two points during the afternoon. The Racers built 3-0 leads in the second and their set but UIC quickly erased the deficit each time and held the advantage for the remainder of the set.
 
Delucchi paced the Flames to an opening set victory, recording seven of her 13 kills in the 25-18 triumph. Paola Santiago also added four of her nine kills in the opening frame.
 
UIC's defense was on display in the second set, holding the Racers to a .172 hitting percentage. While the Flames only recorded one block in the set, it was an impressive one as Santiago, Wafeek and Becca Oldendorf teamed up for the triple block out of the middle.
 
Henderson took over in the third set, as eight of her 12 kills came in the final set. The Flames nearly had half of their aces in the final set as well, picking up four in the final frame. Santiago had back-to-back aces, Delucchi had one and Jaclyn Oblena had the final ace.
 
The Flames head back on the road looking for revenge, as the team heads to Iowa for matches against Northern Iowa and Drake. The Panthers and Bulldogs are UIC's only two losses in league play and represent the top two teams in the MVC standings.
 
News and Notes

• UIC had an impressive .423 hitting percentage in the match, raising their season hitting percentage to a conference-leading .254. The Flames also lead the league in kills and assists.
• Santiago was in on five blocks in the match to lead UIC's defensive effort at the net.