CHICAGO – The UIC women's tennis team (4-2) kept its home win streak alive Saturday as it came away with a 4-3 victory over Illinois State (3-5) at XS Tennis. It was the second-straight match that was decided in a 4-3 final and the Flames' fourth win at home this season.
 
UIC picked up the doubles point for the third time this season. Georgie Sanders and Stefana Vasic competed alongside one another for the first time and shut out their opponents at No. 3, 6-0. The match was then clinch at No. 1 where Melika LeBlanc and Rachel Le Comber were back together for the second match in a row for the 6-2 win.
 
Oana Manole and Miranda Rodriguez Diaz de Leon were positioned at No. 2 but had their match go unfinished.
 
The Flames were able to seal the win after the completion of four matches in singles. Le Comber posted her fourth victory of the dual season at No. 6 when she took down Andrea Beneroso, 6-1, 6-2. The next match went to the Redbirds as Marcia Tere-Apisah bested Manole, 6-4, 6-0, at the top position.
 
After Sanders collected a straight-set win at No. 2 over Jelena Karla Vujicic, 6-4, 6-2, Bianca Zuzu put the match away after going to the tiebreaker in her second set and coming out on top of Gabriela Sprague, 6-1, 7-6 (2), at No. 4, where she is now 4-2 on the year.
 
The final two matches ended in favor of Illinois State as LeBlanc went down after taking the first set against Jana Kustkova, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, at No. 3 and Rodriguez Diaz de Leon was defeated at No. 5 by Valerija Gercar, 7-5, 6-3.
 
UIC will take to the courts at Evergreen Racquet and Fitness in Evergreen Park, Ill., next weekend for a pair of home matches. The Flames will first be faced with Kansas State on Saturday (Feb. 25) at 1 p.m. CT and will close out the weekend Sunday (Feb. 26) against Evansville at 10 a.m.