UIC will make its last outing before the postseason, in the final home match of the year, when the Flames host Northern Kentucky Saturday afternoon.
 
The Flames' seed in the Horizon League tournament is at stake.  With a win over the Norse and some help, pending NKU's result on Sunday at IUPUI, UIC could finish as high as third.  The top three teams receive a bye to the semifinals.
 
The Flames narrowly fell to Northern Kentucky, 4-3, in their conference opener last month.  Pelle Strandberg and Artem Iermolov were victorious on the doubles courts to kick off a five-match unbeaten streak.  Strandberg also won on the #1 singles court, with Gustavo Schwebel and Ammar Wazir also picking up singles wins.  Wazir in currently on a three-match winning streak and is 13-8 overall.  A win on Saturday would break a tie with Anthony Nguyen for most singles wins by a freshman since 2016.
 
The Norse have not won since meeting the Flames.  They have played the top two teams in the conference twice each, and lost all four matches, capped by a 7-0 loss at the hands of Cleveland State last weekend. Brandon Ponomarew leads the team with eight singles wins, split evenly between the #3 and #4 flights.  He and Trevor Ball have teamed up for a team-best five doubles wins, sporting a 5-1 record in at #3 doubles.
 
Saturday's regular season finale will be the last home match for senior Anthony Nguyen and graduate student Francesco Tacconi.  The match is scheduled for the Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts, with HF Racquet Club in Homewood serving as the backup indoor location in case of inclement weather.