CHICAGO – The UIC women's tennis team (7-4) improved its record in matches played at XS Tennis this season to 5-0 by posting a 6-1 victory over Niagara (1-10) Thursday.
 
The Flames claimed the doubles point for the fifth time this season as they completed the sweep. Rachel Le Comber and Melika LeBlanc took their fourth win of the season at the No. 1 position as they blanked their opponents, 6-0, and it was another shut down 6-0 win at No. 2 as Bianca Zuzu and Oana Manole combined for the first time. The final match went to Georgie Sanders and Stefana Vasic for their third win at No. 3 in a 6-1 final.
 
UIC went on to seal the match with five straight-set singles victories. Vasic picked up the first win as she swept Jasmin Vargas, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 6, before LeBlanc came away with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Shannon Wong at No. 2. The match was clinched at No. 4 as Le Comber took out Sharlee Deshmukh, 6-2, 6-0, for her team-best fifth victory of the season.
 
Miranda Rodriguez Diaz de Leon continued the Flames streak as she picked up the 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 5 against Ali Hutchinson. Zuzu was responsible for the final victory as she outlasted Sansriti Ranjan, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 3.
 
While competing at the No. 1 position for the third time this season, Sanders was able to come back from a first-set loss to take the second before Stella Peisakhova took the eventual 6-1, 3-6, 11-9 final.
 
UIC will take a break from competition this weekend before it heads down to Nashville, Tenn., for a pair of matches against Lipsomb on March 18 and Butler on March 19.