UIC had early momentum, winning the doubles point and the first set in four singles matches, but Youngstown State regrouped and picked up down-lineup wins to clinch a 4-1 win in the Horizon League semifinals.

The match was tight throughout, with one doubles set and five singles sets requiring tiebreakers.  As they did in two regular season matchups, UIC went toe-to-toe with the #1 seed and showed that they would battle at every position.  Having received a bye into the semifinals, Youngstown State showed fresher legs in a couple of key moments when numerous matches went into a third set.

UIC won the doubles point for the first time since their first regular season meeting with the Penguins.  Pelle Strandberg and Artem Iermolov returned to their winning ways in the clinching set.  The Flames claimed set one in each of the top three singles matches, as well as the #6 clash, but were unable to close out any additional team points.

Youngstown State will advance to the Horizon League championship on Sunday.  The Flames finish the season with a 5-19 record.

Doubles Results

• Luiz Dos Santos and Gustavo Schwebel were reunited, playing on the #1 court as they did through the heart of the conference season.  They were unable to get momentum in their set and fell 6-0.
• Kevin Kruzel and Francesco Tacconi slid down to the #3 flight.  They went up a break, and on serve closed out a 6-4 win.
• Pelle Strandberg and Artem Iermolov played at #2 – the court where they had a four-match winning streak against Horizon League foes.  Down a break, they broke serve to even the set at 5-all, and eventually went to a tiebreaker before winning, 7-6 (5) to give the Flames the doubles point.

Singles Results

• Ammar Wazir, who won the clinching match on Friday, could not sustain his momentum into the semifinals.  YSU tied the match at one with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Wazir at #5.
  
• Anthony Nguyen rallied from a set down to keep things tight throughout the second set, all the way to a tiebreaker.  The last points fell YSU's way in their 6-3, 7-6 (4) win at #4.
  
• Kruzel jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set of his match at #6, and went on to win it, before falling in the second.  He dropped the first two games but bounced back to win the next two, and the set remained tight through a 6-6 score.  The tiebreaker went YSU's way in a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) final.
  
• Tacconi was one of three Flames to win his first set in a tiebreaker.  He rallied from a 4-1 deficit to force the tiebreaker on the #3 court.  He was unable, however, to rally in the next two sets and fell 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-1.
  
• Strandberg remained in the #1 flight, where he toughed out a tiebreaker win to take a one-set lead.  He won two straight games to get back into the second set before his opponent pulled away, and trailed in the third when play was halted, 6-7 (7), 6-3, 5-3.
  
• Schwebel was involved in two competitive sets on the #2 court.  He won the first but lost the second, and was down 6-7 (3), 7-5, 2-1 at the time the Penguins clinched the match.