CHICAGO – Following back-to-back Horizon League Championships, the UIC women's tennis team (19-5) is off to Columbus, Ohio this weekend to compete in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Flames will face off with host No. 15 Ohio State in the first-round match on Friday, May 7 at 1 p.m. CT at the Buckeyes' Auer Tennis Complex.

UIC took home its 19th conference crown last weekend with a 4-1 win over No. 4 Cleveland State in the Semifinals and a 4-1 victory over No. 2 Youngstown State in the Championship match. In Sunday's title match, the Flames won a doubles tiebreaker to claim the doubles point, and then won three of the four singles matches played to completion, two of which were in straight sets to defeat the Penguins and earn the team's 17th NCAA appearance.

The Flames head to the NCAA Tournament with a 103-36 record in singles matches, led by an 18-win season from junior Ana Jover and a 17-win season from senior Georgia Gulin. Horizon League First-Team members Lucie Prochazkova and Agnes Gustafsson both finished with 15 wins on the season, while junior Nell Arendt won 14.

In doubles, UIC commands a 42-17 record against their opponents, winning the doubles point in 19 of its matches this season. Jover once again leads the way with another 18 wins in doubles, while freshmen Tamara Malazonia and Gustafsson own 12 doubles wins apiece heading into the tournament. 

Ohio State (21-3) earned the No. 15 seed and the right to host after securing their third Big Ten Tournament Title on Sunday, taking a 4-1 win over Michigan. Friday's match will be the first-ever meeting between the Flames and the Buckeyes.

Also competing in Columbus in the first round are Ball State (22-3) and Vanderbilt (13-9), who will face off prior to UIC and Ohio State on Friday at 10 a.m. The NCAA Tournament bracket follows a single elimination format, with the winner of each first-round match advancing into the second round on Saturday. The winners of the second-round match will then advance to the Round of 16 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.