CHICAGO – The UIC volleyball team picked up its first tournament title of the season Saturday afternoon, as the Flames took down Chicago State by a 3-1 margin to cap an undefeated weekend of action.
 
Martina Delucchi recorded a double-double to pace the Flames, finishing with a team-high 16 kills to go along with a team-leading 15 digs. Delucchi was one of three Flames to finish with 10 or more kills, with Zahria Woodard chipping in an effective 12 on a .478 hitting percentage while Becca Oldendorf added 10 on a .471 percentage.
 
Delucchi got off to a hot start, recording five kills on a .444 hitting percentage in the opening set as the Flames and Cougars battled back and forth. The first set featured 10 ties and four lead changes, with the Flames taking the lead for good at 20-19 following a kill from Paola Santiago. Oldendorf and Mikala Henderson teamed up for a block to seal the opening-set victory, 25-20, in favor of the Flames.
 
The second and third sets were dominating performances, with Chicago State and UIC each claiming a set. The Cougars evened the match at 1-all in the second set with a 25-15 victory before the Flames regained the lead at 2-1 with a nearly identical 25-16 decision.
 
Colleen Hege served up an ace early in the fourth set to put the Flames in front 8-2, and UIC would maintain its lead for the remainder of the set en route to a 25-21 victory to seal the match.
 
The Flames head south next weekend for the UCF Invitational. The Flames will take on UNC Wilmington, Miami and Central Florida over three days of action.
 
News and Notes

• Santiago excelled at the service line, serving up four of UIC's eight aces in the match.
• In UIC's third-set victory, the Flames held Chicago State to a .029 hitting percentage as the Cougars had 10 kills and nine errors on 35 total attempts.
• Delucchi recorded her second double-double of the year and has 10 or more kills in five of UIC's six matches this year.