CHICAGO -- UIC returns to action this weekend as the Flames make the 12 mile trip south to Chicago State for the Windy City Invitational.

FIRST SERVE
• The Flames will open action on Thursday against Eastern Illinois (6:30) before taking on Pacific on Friday (4:00) and rounding out action against Chicago State Saturday afternoon (2:30).
• UIC owns a 19-16 record against Eastern Illinois, picking up a 3-0 sweep the last time the two teams met (9/6/19). The Flames are 21-1 all-time against Chicago State, picking up a 3-1 win at the UIC Invitational last season. UIC has never faced Pacific.

NEW HOME
• It was announced on Jan. 26 that UIC would be officially joining the Missouri Valley Conference for the start of the 2022-23 academic year.
• The Flames were 1-of-3 schools to make the move to the MVC prior to the start of the year as Belmont and Murray State join UIC as newcomers to the conference.
• The addition of the three new schools gives the MVC a 12-team league for the first time in conference history.
• The Flames are 1-of-4 schools from the state of Illinois in the Missouri Valley Conference, joined alongside Bradley, Illinois State and Southern Illinois.

ALL-TOURNAMENT FLAMES
• In their opening tournament of the 2022 season, a pair of Flames were named to the All-Tournament Team of the Huskie Invitational.
• Martina Delucchi was selected to the team after recording 50 kills at a 4.55 kills per set rate, both of which rank third in the Missouri Valley.
• Becca Oldendorf was also named to the team after finishing the weekend with a .440 hitting percentage, the best hitting percentage in the league this past weekend.

RECORD WATCH
• In her final season with the Flames, Paola Santiago is climbing UIC's career kills list.
• The Puerto Rico native is currently ninth all-time with 1,250 career kills.

1. Kathy Bay (1981-84) 1,906
2. Teaha Shepperd (2000-03) 1,646
3. Dee Dee Ericks (1987-89) 1,557
4. Kelsey Safranek (2009-12) 1,540
5. Susan Morris (1992-94) 1,481
6. Katarina Nedeljikovic (2004-08) 1,381
7. Leslie Slinkman (1983-86) 1,309
8. Debbie Obsola (1983-86) 1,298
9. Paola Santiago (2018-pres.) 1,250

• Entering the 2022 season, Santiago had 1,226 kills and 1,038 digs, becoming the 10th player in UIC history, and first since 2008, to be part of the 1,000-kill/1,000-dig club.