ST. LOUIS (Sept. 3, 2024) – The Missouri Valley Conference announced its first weekly honors of the 2024 volleyball season early Tuesday afternoon. UIC graduate student Zahria Woodard (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park and River Forest) was selected as the conference Player of the Week after her big weekend at the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Fort Myers Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.
 

Congratulations to Zahria Woodard (@Zwoodard18) for being named the @MVCsports Player of the Week!

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— UIC Volleyball ???? (@UIC_Volleyball) September 3, 2024

"This was a tremendous performance by Zahria throughout the entire first weekend of our season," head coach Justin Ingramsaid. "She lead our team in kills, attack efficiency and blocking to earn the tournament MVP award. Z is on a mission!"
 

?? 44 kills
?? 19 Total Blocks
?? MVP of the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Fort Myers Classic

Have yourself a weekend @Zwoodard18 ??????#ChicagosCollegeTeam pic.twitter.com/BDfTYli1j3

— UIC Volleyball ???? (@UIC_Volleyball) September 3, 2024

"This past weekend was very fun," Woodard said. "I am incredibly honored and grateful to have been selected MVC Player of the Week. Playing in our first tournament this past weekend with my amazing teammates and coming out on top was such a great experience. The energy, teamwork and pure fun we had on the court made it a weekend to remember."
 
Woodard couldn't be stopped on the attack this weekend, collecting 44 kills earning double-digit kills in all three match victories for the Flames.  She finished the tournament with a season-high 17 kills to lead UIC to a tournament-clinching victory in a five-set thriller against FGCU Saturday night. Defensively, the middle blocker tallied 16 blocking assists and three solo blocks, averaging 1.36 blocks per set.
 
UIC travels to Macomb, Ill. To compete in Western Illinois' Leatherneck Classic beginning Friday, Sept. 6. The two-day tournament at Western Hall will have UIC go toe-to-toe against the Leathernecks, Purdue Fort Wayne and South Dakota State. All three matches will be available to stream on ESPN+ with live stats available at UICFlames.com.
 
Fans are strongly encouraged to support NIL opportunities for UIC scholar-athletes through contributions to The Chicago Collective.
 
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).