CHICAGO – The UIC women's tennis team will open the 2017 fall season with the University of Cincinnati Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the Trabert/Talbert Tennis Center in Cincinnati Ohio. The Flames will face opponents from Ball State, Xavier as well as host Cincinnati.

This year UIC welcomes newcomers Lejla Colic, Amelia Guevremont and Viktoria Seifert to the squad alongside returning members Rachel Le Comber, Melika LeBlanc, Miranda Rodriguez Diaz De Leon, Georgie Sanders, Stefana Vasic and Bianca Zuzu.

Colic and Seifert are both transfer as well as international students, with Colic hailing from Sarajevo, Bosnia, while Seifert comes to Chicago by way of Schwienfurt, Germany. Colic attended Washington State for her first season, and Seifert spent her first two years at Seminole State.

Junior Rachel Le Comber alongside seniors Miranda Rodriguez Diaz De Leon and Bianca Zuzu are back in action after leading the Flames last season, accounting for 61 of UIC's 105 singles victories.

Le Comber was a perfect 9-0 in Conference play and ended the year with a 23-7 record overall. Rodriguez Diaz De Leon went 8-1 in the Horizon League and was 20-8 on the year.  Zuzu compiled 18 wins against 11 losses and was 6-3 in Horizon League Play.

Following the Cincinnati Invitational, UIC will return to Chicago to host its home invitational on Friday, Sept. 22 and Saturday, Sept 23.