Feb. 25, 2012

CHICAGO - The UIC women's team dropped the doubles point, but recorded six decisive wins in singles play, leading to a 6-1 win over Illinois State in a non-conference dual match at Bally's Hyde Park in the Windy City Saturday afternoon.

With the win, UIC improves to 5-3 on the season. Illinois State drops to 3-5 overall. The order of finish in doubles play went 2, 3 and 1. In singles play, the match wrapped up in the following order: 6, 2, 4, 5, 1 and 3.

"We didn't execute like we needed to in doubles today," said head coach Shannon Tully. "Fortunately, all six singles players stepped up and got it done for us. Despite losing a disappointing doubles point, I was pleased that we had a total team effort in singles play."

Illinois State recorded wins at both the first and third doubles flights. UIC's No. 2 doubles tandem of Mariya Kovaleva and Haley Craig outlasted the Redbirds' Phyllis Tigges and Ariane Maack, 8-4, in a pro-set to win the Flames' lone doubles match.

In singles play, the Flames recorded four wins in straight-sets, with Teona Tsertsvadze (No. 2) defeating Tigges 6-2, 6-3, and Jana Knoppe (No. 4) taking care of Maack by a count of 6-2 and 6-4. At the fifth singles flight, Linda Hricistova defeated ISU's Stefanie Youngberg, 7-5, 6-3, while Kathryn Sharples blanked the Redbirds' Hannah Esker, 6-0, 6-0, at the No. 6 singles position.

The Flames will be idle until March 4, when UIC takes on Western Michigan in a non-conference dual match in Griffith, Ind.

UIC vs. ILLINOIS STATE (NON-CONFERENCE DUAL MATCH)
Bally's Hyde Park (Chicago, Ill.)
UIC 6, ILLINOIS STATE 1

DOUBLES
(1) Aniko Kiss/Emmie Marx (ILS) def. Teona Tsertsvadze/Elisa Simonetti (UIC), 8-5
(2) Mariya Kovaleva/Haley Craig (UIC) def. Phyllis Tigges/Ariane Maack (ILS), 8-4
(3) Hannah Esker/Stefanie Youngberg (ILS) def. Jana Knoppe/Linda Hricistova (UIC), 9-7

SINGLES
(1) Mariya Kovaleva (UIC) def. Aniko Kiss (ILS), 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
(2) Teona Tsertsvadze (UIC) def. Phyllis Tigges (ILS), 6-2, 6-3
(3) Haley Craig (UIC) def. Emmie Marx (ILS), 5-7, 6-4, 12-10
(4) Jana Knoppe (UIC) def. Ariane Maack (ILS), 6-2, 6-4
(5) Linda Hricistova (UIC) def. Stefanie Youngberg (ILS), 7-5, 6-3
(6) Kathryn Sharples (UIC) def. Hannah Esker (ILS), 6-0, 6-0