DAYTON, Ohio (Sept. 8, 2023) – The UIC volleyball team (6-3) went 1-1 to open the Dayton Invitational on Friday. After winning 3-1 against Wright State (3-5), UIC's comeback was thwarted against Dayton (6-2) later in the evening as Flames fell in five sets. 

COMMENT FROM UIC HEAD COACH JUSTIN INGRAM ON WRIGHT STATE VICTORY

"The match was slow to begin but we gain some tread throughout the course of it. Ayat Amin was consistent offensively and I thought that Becca Oldendorf and Zahria Woodard had some key blocks to help propel us forward throughout the course of each of the sets."

UIC Fights Back Wright State for the Win 

First Set (25-23, WSU)

• After the Raiders started the first set on a 7-2 run, the Flames managed to tie it up at nine early in the set. That was highlighted by kills from sophomore Ayat Amin (Cairo, Egypt) and senior Becca Oldendorf (Lockport, Ill./ Lockport Township).
• Senior libero Jaclyn Oblena (Orland Park, Ill./ Carl Sanburg) was strong in the serve for the Flames, landing two aces. Her second ace gave the Flames an 18-16 lead heading into a timeout from Wright State.
• Kills from Oldendorf and senior Martina Delucchi (La Plata, Argentina) gave the Flames a late lead, but the Raiders scored two consecutive points to win the set.

Second Set (25-18, UIC)

• Delucchi started the Flames off early in the second set, earning two kills and a blocking assist for a 5-3 lead.
• Senior middle blocker Zahria Woodard (Oak Park, Ill./ Oak  Park and River Forest) extended UIC's lead entering the middle of the set with three blocking assists and a kill.
• After Wright State closed UIC's lead 11-10, the Flames responded with a 7-0 run. That was highlighted with a kill from freshman Gabi Peter (Gilbert, Ill./ Hampshire) and two aces from Tamara Kisic (Belgrade, Serbia).
• Reaching match point at 24-18, freshman Celimar Hoyos (Caguas, Puerto Rico/ Archbishop McCarthy) served the ball over the net for the Flames. Wright State's Callie Martin fumbled an attempted attack, leading to UIC taking the set.

Third Set (25-21, UIC)

• Amin tallied seven of her career-high 18 kills in the third set.
• The two programs traded point-for-point before the Flames began to breakaway with a lead. A 3-0 run highlighted behind a solo block and kill from Woodard gave UIC a 15-12 lead before Wright State called for a timeout.
• After Peter earned her career-high ninth kill in the match to give UIC a 21-16 lead, the Flames closed the third set out later with an attack error from Wright State.

Fourth Set (31-29, UIC)

• UIC found itself in a hole after Wright State went on a 5-0 run to take the lead early in the set. The Flames trailed 17-11 before Ingram called a timeout.
• The Flames returned to the court on fire, going on an 8-2 run. Amin tallied two more kills during that span and joined Woodard for a blocking assist. The Flames eventually tied it all up at 19 entering the later half of the set.
• Each of the teams traded set point eight different times as the match moved past the 25^th point. After Delucchi earned her 10^th kill of the match, the Raiders once against suffered an attack error, leading to a 31-29 set win for the Flames and a match victory.

FLAMES COMEBACK THWARTED IN FIFTH SET AGAINST DAYTON

First Set (25-18, Dayton)

• After the Flyers began the set with an 8-3 lead, UIC bridged the gap by going on a 4-1 run, highlighted by a kill from Woodard and an ace from Oblena.
• Oldendorf led the attack for the Flames in the first set, collecting four of her eight kills in the first set.
• Delucchi also tallied three kills for the Flames.

Second Set (25-15, Dayton)

• The Flames kept with the Flyers early on, cutting an early lead to two behind Woodard's third kill of the match.
• Sophomore Cleo Lorenzo (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) tallied her lone two kills in the second set.
• Peter collected two of her six kills in the set and was also accredited with a blocking assist alongside Oldendorf.

Third Set (29-27, UIC)

• The Flames took an early 7-5 in the set, behind the attack of Delucchi, Peter and Woodard.
• Trading point-for-point, the Flyers squander a set point after a kill from Amin tied it up at 25.
• UIC secured the set point after a serving error from Dayton was followed up by Oldendorf's lone ace of the match.

Fourth Set (29-27, UIC)

• Delucchi was on fire for the Flames, racking up 11 of her 26 kills in the fourth set.
• Midway through the set, Dayton completed an 8-0 run to regain the 19-15 lead. The Flames responded by going on 8-3 run of their own, behind kills from Delucchi, Ayat and Oldendorf.
• Once again pushing past the 25^th point, UIC found an opening after sophomore setter Francesca Venturini (Bergamo, Italy) landed her 40^th assist of the match, setting up Oldendorf's seventh kill of the match. Stepping back to serve the next point, Venturini earned an ace after Dayton's Taylor Russell received it awkwardly to earn UIC's second set point.

Fifth Set (15-7, Dayton)

• Early kills from Woodard and Delucchi kept the Flames within reach.
• Amin's 12^th and final kill gave UIC it's last point of the set, before Dayton secured the match win.

BY THE NUMBERS

• 26 kills from Delucchi in the loss against Dayton is a new career-high for the senior. She surpassed her original high of 24 kills, a feat she accomplished twice earlier in her time at UIC. Her total career kills currently sits at 1,142.
• 18 kills against Wright State is a new career-high for Amin. She now leads the Flames in kills with 117 this season.
• Nine kills from Peter against the Raiders eclipsed her old season-high of six kills against St. Thomas on Aug. 25. The freshman outside hitter now has 33 kills in the season.
• Venturini's 46 assist performance eclipsed the sophomore's previous career-high, when she had 29 assists in UIC's win over St. Thomas on Aug. 25.

NEXT UP FOR THE FLAMES

UIC's time in the Dayton Invitational comes to close Saturday, as it faces off against Ball State (2-5). First serve is scheduled for 10 a.m. CT.

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).