UIC Athletics

Years: 1975

Inducted: 1996

The 1975 UICC's women's volleyball team was by far the best group ever compiled to bump, set and spike for the Chikas. After rolling through the regular season with a spotless 12-0 record, the UICC squad captured the State Championship. The team then went on to capture the Midwest Regional Championship which earned them a trip to the national tournament. The Chikas advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Hawaii, putting an end to a spectacular season.

Team Members: Nina Bzdelik, Jill Cebrzynski, Jeanne Kriz, Mary Malped, Toni Paolini, Debbie Robinett, Judy Sawicki, Diana Schultz, Kathy Shannon, Maija Tilik, Mary Kay Walsh, Laura Witteman Coach: Mary Kapsalis

Sport: Volleyball

Years: 1983-1986

Inducted: 2015

During her four years, Slinkman helped the Flames win 103 matches, the most over a consecutive four year period in UIC volleyball history with 22, 30, 25, and 26 victories from 1983 through 1986. She led the 1985 team with 451 kills and 125 blocks, and holds the fifth highest total of single-season blocks (125) and the most single season solo blocks (54). Allen currently ranks at UIC seventh all-time in kills (1,309), tenth in block assists (239), sixth in total blocks all time (346), and first in career solo blocks (107).

Sport: Volleyball, Softball

Years: 1981-1984

Inducted: 1992

Bay-Apostolovich was a dominate volleyball player for the Flames and made her mark in the UIC record book. Her 1,901 career kills and 5,085 total attempts were the most in school history and she was also among the leaders with 191 service aces, 1,252 digs and 81 solo blocks. "Kathy was just an all-around though competitor," recalled former head coach Don August.

A co-captain during her junior and senior years, Bay-Apostolovich led the Flames in service reception, serving and passing efficiency, kills and digs, while also placing second in number of serves and aces. The outside hitter led UIC to 30 wins in 1984. She excelled on the softball field for two seasons before concentrating on volleyball.

Sport: Volleyball

Years: 1988-1990

Inducted: 2005

Borkovec-Boettger made a significant mark on the volleyball team during her three seasons. An All-North Star Conference Second Team selection in 1990, Borkovec-Boettger led the Flames with career-bests in kills (414) and digs (514) as a senior. Her 514 digs as a senior set a single season record. She finished her career with 654 kills and 1,002 digs. As a junior she proved to be a versatile performer, playing outside hitter, defensive specialist and setter during a year in which she led the team with 52 service aces to propel the Flames to a North Star Conference Tournament title. She was also part of the 1988 North Star Regular Season Championship team.

Borkovec-Boettger remains in the school's 20-20 Club for kills and digs, notching a 24-kill, 32-dig performance against Southern Illinois on September 14, 1990. She posted a 33-dig showing earlier that month against Wichita State that shares the school record for digs in a single match.

Sport: Volleyball

Years: 1983-1986

Inducted: 2002

Brandonisio left her stamp on UIC Volleyball during her standout career. Her school record for 422 career service aces may never be broken, as at the time of finishing her career she was 226 aces ahead of the second name on that list. She also left in the top three slots for single season aces, with her best season in 1984 with 128.

Sport: Volleyball

Years: 1987-1989

Inducted: 1995

In the three years on the volleyball court for the Flames, Ericks certainly left her mark on the court. In her first season, she set four newcomer records with 425 kills, 1,069 total attempts, a .254 hitting percentage and 22 double figure matches for kills. Ericks' 595 kills and 1,671 attempts in one season was at the top of the UIC record book.

In 1988 Ericks led the team to a first place finish in the North Star Conference. That year she went on to earn All-Conference honors, a feat in which she repeated the following year. Eight times over her career she recorded 20 kills and 20 digs.

Sport: Volleyball

Years: 1988-1991

Inducted: 1997

Fisk began her outstanding four year volleyball career by establishing new school single season records for assists (1,506) and placing tenth for aces with 53, during her freshman season. She finished her illustrious career at UIC as the all-time leader for assists with 3,533 and digs with 1,531 and was second for aces (196) and block assists (249).

A three-time All-Mid-Continent Conference second-team, she was one of only two players in UIC history to record a "triple-double" as she recorded 22 kills, 21 digs and 25 assists versus Texas-El Paso during her junior year. "Carlyn was an amazing athlete who brought great intensity to the floor every time she played," said Former Head Coach Don August.

Sport: Volleyball

Years: 1976-1979

Inducted: 1993

During her four year career as middle hitter/blocker, the Flames compiled a 132-50-9 record. In her rookie season, UIC won first place at the Illinois State Championships and posted a 42-5-1 record. During her senior campaign, the Flames took third place at the State Tournament and were the runner-up at the Illinois Association for Intercollegiate Athletics Tournament. Blizzard-Lee was named volleyball Athlete of the Year and also received Dean's List recognition in 1979-80 and was an alternate member at the World University Games held in Mexico in 1978.

Sport: Volleyball

Years: 1982-1985

Inducted: 1998

A middle-hitting power during her days at UIC, O'Ketter concluded her career third in block shots, digs and 12th in kills. A leader on the court she was co-captain her junior and senior years.

"Consistent and excellent in all areas of the game of volleyball. You could always count on Ilene, a solid performance throughout her career at UIC," said former volleyball coach Don August.

Sport: Volleyball

Years: 1972-1975

Inducted: 1991

Deborah Bird Robinett played a key role in the UIC volleyball program. During her four year campaign on the squad, the team recorded 127 wins and only 18 losses for a winning percentage of .876. UIC also made four straight appearances at the AIAW National Championships with Robinett on the squad. Robinett was selected as the Chicago Women's Volleyball Player of the Year in 1975. Following her 1975 season, she was one of a select few to be invited to tryout for the World University Games and the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Robinett was also a member of the U.S.A. Regional All-Star team that played the West German Olympic team in 1976. The volleyball star was a three-time All-American and captain of the United States Volleyball Association team representing Chicago that won the Senior National Championship in 1987. Robinett also coached at UIC alongside Wayne Saunders in 1976 and 1977.

Sport: Volleyball

Years: 1971-1975

Inducted: 1995

Rouse was a natural leader on the court, she was an assistant captain her first two seasons and captain for her final two seasons. As a senior, she received the first volleyball scholarship offered at UIC. That senior year she led Circle to a stellar 33-5 record, first place at the AIAW State Tournament and 16th at Nationals.

"In 1974 there was a titanic clash with UCLA in pool play. We battled point for point for three games before being narrowly edged. UCLA went on to win the AIAW that year and that team has gone down in the books as one of the best UCLA teams ever," remembers Rouse.

Sport: Volleyball

Years: 2014-2015

Inducted: 2023

One of only four players ever to be a two-time Horizon League Player of the Year (2014, 2015), Yancy was a force to be reckoned with during her time at UIC. A 2015 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-North Region selection, Yancy held the school records for the best hitting percentages in a career (.365) and a single season (.371 in 2015) at the time of her induction. She also was third in Flames history for kills in a season (544) and a member of the program's 1,000 Kills Club (1,056).