CHICAGO – UIC men's tennis (8-12, 3-2 Southland) is returning to action following a slight pause in competition. The Flames will host DePaul (10-14, 2-4 Big East) Thursday and travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on Xavier (11-7, 1-3 Big East) Saturday. Both are nonconference matchups, leading up to the Southland Conference Championship.

The Flames haven't played a match since Mar. 26, where UIC fell in the close conference contest against Incarnate Word (3-4). The Flames currently sit second in league standings.

SCOUTING DEPAUL
As a Big East member, DePaul has victories over Villanova and Xavier. However, the team was shutout by Southland affiliate, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a tournament in February. This won't be the first time UIC and DePaul have faced off, as the history dates back to 2004. The last time the two teams met was last January, and the Blue Demons currently lead the overall series.

SCOUTING XAVIER
Xavier has one win in the Big East conference against Villanova. The Musketeers have traveled to Chicago twice to take on the Flames at least a decade ago. The two teams played in 2000 and 2008, setting the overall series record at 1-1. UIC outscored Xavier 4-3 the last time they met.

Thursday's home match against the Blue Demons is set for 2 p.m. at the Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts. There will be a brief ceremony beforehand recognizing three seniors: Miroslav Cvjetan, Luiz Dos Santos, and Pelle Strandberg. On Saturday, they play the Musketeers 1 p.m. EDT at the Jim and Mary Brockhoff Family Tennis Facility.