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Camille Belberka
Mark Black
2
UIC Flames UICW (2-6)
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Winner WKU WKU (5-5)
UIC Flames UICW
(2-6)
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Final
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WKU WKU
(5-5)
Winner

Match Recap: Women's Tennis |

Women’s Tennis Narrowly Defeated by Western Kentucky

The Flames dropped a 4-2 contest to the Hilltoppers Sunday afternoon

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (Feb 25, 2024) – Playing its second contest of the weekend, the UIC women's tennis program (2-6) was narrowly defeated 4-2 by Western Kentucky (4-5) Sunday afternoon at the Michael O. Buchanon Park Indoor Tennis Facility.

UIC won the doubles point for the second match in a row, but Western Kentucky pulled away in singles competition, winning four of the five matches that were completed Sunday.
COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH ELIZABETH LUMPKIN ROBINSON

"The competitiveness and atmosphere of this match was an incredible experience to carry in to the rest of our season. Doubles was well executed again and we were extremely close in singles competition against a gritty WKU team. We trust our process and know the results will come.

MATCH RECAP
  • In doubles competition, the Flames recorded wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions for the second match in a row to clinch their fourth doubles point of the season. UIC's No. 1 doulbes team of Agnes Gustafsson (Paris, France Akademi Båstad Gymnasium, Sweden) and Mayu Ushio (Yamaguchi, Japan/Miami University) cruised to a 6-2 vicotry while the Flames' No 2 pair of  Tamara Malazonia (Birmingham, United Kingdom/St. Paul's School for Girls) and Camille Belberka (Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg, France/Seward County Community College (Kan.) won via a 7-1 tiebreak to clinch the 7-6 victory and the doubles point.
  • After WKU won the first singles point of the afternoon at the No. 3 spot, Belberka won her match in straight sets at No. 4 singles to give UIC the 2-1 advantage in the team score. However the Hilltoppers won battles at Nos. 2, 5 and 6 to win the team match.
  • At No. 1 singles, Gustafsson came out strong with a 6-0 win in her first set. After dropping the second set, the senior and her WKU counterpart fought back and forth in the third set to force a tiebreak. However, the match went unfinished in the middle of the tiebreak due to Western Kentucky securing four team points and the match victory.
Full results from Sunday's contest are below.
 
RESULTS
 
WKU 4, UIC 2
 
Doubles – UIC wins the doubles point
  1. Gustafsson/Ushio (UIC) def. Cortez/Kopecka (WKU) 6-2
  2. Malazonia/Belberka (UIC) def. Blanco/Hermanova (WKU) 7-6 (7-1)
  3. Martinez/Zegada (WKU) def. Ryan/Rodriguez Gregoris (UIC) 6-1
Singles
  1. Gustafsson (UIC) vs. Cortez (WKU) 6-0, 1-6, 6-6, unfinished
  2. Hermanova (WKU) def. Malazonia (UIC) 6-2, 6-4
  3. Blanco (WKU) def. Ushio (UIC) 6-3, 6-2
  4. Belberka (UIC) def. Hernandez (WKU) 6-2, 6-3
  5. Kopecka (WKU) def. Ryan (UIC) 6-2, 6-4
  6. Damera (WKU) def. Brion (UIC) 1-6, 6-4, 6-1
UP NEXT
  • The Flames conclude their season-long four-match road trip on Friday with an away contest at Marquette. Friday's contest will start at 2 p.m.
  • The Golden Eagles are 2-9 on the season and have lost three of their last four matches. Marquette dropped both of its contests this weekend, losing to North Dakota (6-1) and Eastern Kentucky (6-1).
  • UIC and Marquette faced each other last February, with the Golden Eagles winning the contest 5-2.
FOLLOW THE FLAMES
  • For more information on the UIC women's tennis program, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UICWTEN and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_wten and @uicflames).
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