CHICAGO (Oct. 12, 2023) – The UIC volleyball team (13-7, 4-3 MVC) returns to the road this weekend for more Missouri Valley Conference play. The Flames will head to the Hoosier State for a pair of conference contests, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday against Evansville (7-11, 2-5 MVC). The following day, UIC travels to Terre Haute, Ind., to face off with Indiana State (2-15, 0-7 MVC) at 4 p.m. ET.
 
SCOUTING EVANSVILLE

• This is the ninth time the Flames and the Purple Aces are set to compete. The series all tied up with four wins each.
• In their first season in the MVC, the Flames fell in four sets at home to the Purple Aces, 3-1 on Oct. 28, 2022. Senior Martina Delucchi (La Plata, Argentina/San Cayetano) had 15 kills and classmate Becca Oldendorf (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) collected 13 kills to lead the UIC attack.
• This season, Evansville has earned 3-1 victories against conference opponents Indiana State and Belmont. UIC will play host to Belmont on Oct. 28 at Credit Union 1 Arena.
• The Aces rank sixth in The Valley in points per set (15.85), blocks per set (1.96), and digs per set (15.25).
• Junior Giulia Cardona leads the MVC with 5.44 kills per set. She also has 29 aces this season, good for fourth-most in the conference.
• Senior Brooke Springer is one of the top blockers in The Valley this season. She has accrued 50 total blocks, ranking fourth in the conference with 1.02 blocks per set.

 
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE

• This will be the seventh matchup between UIC and Indiana State, with the Flames having won the past five matches after the Sycamores won the inaugural meeting in 1986.
• In last season's meeting on Oct. 29, 2022, the Flames swept the Sycamores, 3-0 in Chicago. Delucchi tallied 18 kills and senior setter Sohila Wafeek (Cairo, Egypt/Al Gomhorya Language School) collected 35 assists.
• The Sycamores are in search of their first win in MVC play and first of any kind since a 3-1 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 1 in the Lindenwood Invitational.
• Indiana State ranks fourth in the MVC with 1.51 aces per set.
• Freshman Kira Holland leads the attack for the Sycamores, averaging 3.18 kills per set.
• Freshman Ella Scott leads ISU at the net with 39 total blocks this season.

 
BY THE NUMBERS

• .433 hitting percentage by Oldendorf, who continues to lead the MVC. She has had nine matches this season with a hitting percentage of .500 or better.
• Senior Zahria Woodard (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park and River Forest) collected 12 total blocks last weekend to bring her career total to 350. She is five blocks away from breaking into the top five on the program's career blocks list.
• Sophomore setter Francesca Venturini (Bergamo, Italy/Liceo Classico Paolo Sarpi) has the sixth-most assists in the MVC this season (555). She averages 7.60 assists per set and collected 47 assists last weekend, including 30 in the Oct. 6 win against Bradley.
• After missing most of the season due to injury, senior Mikala Henderson (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael Albertville) continued to gain her footing in her second week back out on the court. She earned four kills apiece against Bradley and Illinois State.

 
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG!

• Each match will be available to stream on ESPN+. Live stats will also be available as well at UICFlames.com.
• For more information, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_Volleyball and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_volleyball and @uicflames).