Volleyball captures third tournament title in a row

Ali Witt made the All-Tournament team. ­— Photo: Steve Woltmann

The volleyball team kept its winning streak alive with a 3-2 victory over DePaul Saturday to close out the DePaul Invitational. The win was the Flames’ ninth-straight en route to their third tournament title to start the 2016 season.

“It was a great atmosphere all weekend long at DePaul, and I thought we really rose to the challenge,” head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley said. “I’m very proud of this team and the way they continually stick together and fight for each other, and for every point, in every match.”

UIC’s perfect 9-0 record is the program’s best start in Division I history.

Senior Alyssa Ehrhardt was named the tournament’s most valuable player, registering 53 kills to average 3.79 kills per set. The Algonquin native collected 22 digs and seven service aces. Sophomore Ali Witt joined Ehrhardt on the All-Tournament team, hitting at a clip of .487 in three matches and committing only two errors across 14 sets.

Kelsie Groot recorded a match-high 16 kills in Saturday’s nightcap, and closed out the invitational with 46 kills and 26 digs. Senior Kara Johnson brought in a team-high 42 digs on the weekend, and redshirt-junior Nicole Johnson provided 146 helpers for the Flames.

“We had great support from family and friends,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “Even though it wasn’t a home tournament, it was great to be able to play in our city. The crowds were great and the [UIC] women’s basketball team even made the trip to cheer us on tonight. We’re so grateful for all the people who support us every step of the way.”