Nov. 29, 2007

Chicago, Ill. - The University of Illinois at Chicago volleyball team raised $2,038 for the Chicagoland Area Susan G. Komen Foundation in its first annual "Dig for the Cure" campaign last month.

"I am extremely pleased with the success of the first annual "Dig for the Cure" campaign at UIC," said head coach Nancy Mueller. "I think that our student-athletes and volleyball fans were very successful in their first attempt to raise money for such a worthy cause."

The Flames contest versus Youngstown State on Oct. 26 was designated as the "Dig for the Cure" match. Individuals donated money for each dig that UIC compiled throughout the contest, made a flat donation or matched Mueller's donation of $5 per dig.

Not only did individuals donate prior to the match, but each UIC volleyball player raised money throughout the month to help the cause.

`Our fundraising goals for next season's campaign will be higher and I know that our student-athletes will do everything they can in order to raise more money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation."

The Flames totaled 72 digs in a five-game victory over the Penguins on Oct. 26. Junior Christin Hunt led UIC's offense with 21 kills, while sophomore Casie Sullivan notched a career-high 20 digs.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen. Brinker made a promise to her sister that she would do whatever it took to end breast cancer after losing Komen at the age of 36. Brinker fulfilled her promise by launching the foundation.

"I am asked by many people why we chose breast cancer as our focus to raise funds and my reply is that it hits very close to home for many of our student-athletes and many members of our UIC family," said Mueller. "My father passed from cancer five years ago, so cancer is something I am very familiar with and if I can help fund research in any way, then that is something that I am committed to."

For more information on the fight against breast cancer, call the National Toll-Free Breast Care Helpline at 1 (800) IM AWARE (1-800-462-9273) or visit www.komen.org.

"My goal as a Horizon League volleyball coach is to get the rest of the league involved in this great cause," said Mueller. "As of right now, there are three other conferences that are involved and I hope to make the Horizon League the fourth."