PERRYSBURG, Ohio (Feb. 3, 2024) – The UIC women's tennis program earned its first victory of 2024, defeating Bowling Green 5-2 behind five victories in singles competition.
The victory marked Head Coach
Elizabeth Lumpkin Robinson's first career win leading the Flames.
COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH ELIZABETH LUMPKIN ROBINSON
"After a slow start, we bounced back and were resilient in singles competition. Every student-athlete competed well from start to finish. The team's connection was strong and we played tough and together."
MATCH RECAP
- In doubles competition UIC's No. 2 pair of Tamara Malazonia (Birmingham, England/St. Paul's School for Girls) and Camille Belberka (Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg, France/Seward County Community College (Kan.) came away with UIC's lone doubles victory, winning 6-4. The pair is 2-0 on the season.
- After a slow start in doubles competition, the Flames came out strong in singles competition, winning four of the six first sets.
- In the No. 3 singles match, Mayu Ushio (Yamaguchi, Japan/Miami (Ohio) made quick work of her opponent through an aggressive style of play to give the Flames their first point of the afternoon. The victory was Ushio's first at UIC.
- Agnes Gustafsson (Paris, France/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium) and Malazonia closed out victories in highly competitive matches at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots to put the Flames one point away from a match win.
- The Flames and Falcons battled at the Nos. 4-6 spots, with all three matches going three sets.
- UIC clinched the match victory behind an exciting third-set tiebreaker win by Anaïs Brion (Neuilly Sur Seine, France/Texas A&M - Corpus Christi). The victory was the sophomore's first at UIC. Brion showed tremendous resilience on the court in Saturday's match after losing the deciding match in UIC's season opener Tuesday at Butler.
- Belberka's three-set victory at the No. 4 singles spot gave UIC its fifth point of the afternoon.
- Even though Zara Ryan (Dublin, Ireland/Utah State) ultimately lost in her No. 5 singles competition, the senior had a strong third set, where she came back from being down 5-0 to force a set tiebreaker.
RESULTS
UIC 5, BGSU 2
Doubles – BGSU wins the doubles point
- Furness/Neuman (BGSU) def. Gustafsson/Ushio (UIC) 6-3
- Malazonia/Belberka (UIC) def. Fonseca/Baker (BGSU) 6-4
- Clemens/Chaffee (BGSU) def. Ryan/Brion (UIC) 7-6
Singles
- Gustafsson (UIC) def. Furness (BGSU) 6-3, 6-3
- Malazonia (UIC) def. Neuman (BGSU) 6-4, 6-2
- Ushio (UIC) def. Fonseca (BGSU) 6-3, 6-0
- Belberka (UIC) Baker (BGSU) 7-6 (2), 6-7 (3), 10-6
- Clemens (BGSU) def. Ryan (UIC) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (5)
- Brion (UIC) def. Chaffee (BGSU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
UP NEXT
- The Flames conclude their season-opening three-match road trip Sunday with a 12 p.m. contest at Toledo. Sunday's match will take place at the Twos Athletic Club.
- The Rockets currently sport a 2-1 record, with wins at Dayton (4-3) and Cleveland State (5-2) and a loss at Xavier (4-3). Sunday's contest against the Flames will be UT's home opener for the 2024 season.
- Senior Cassie Alcala is the lone Rockets student-athlete to remain undefeated on the season. She is 3-0 at the No. 1 singles position.
- UIC holds a 11-7 all-time record against Toledo. In 2023 the Flames fell to the Rockets 6-1 in Chicago (Feb. 10).
- Toledo went 20-4 a season ago and advanced to the finals of the MAC Championships.
- Live stats will be available for the match here.
- The Rockets enter Sunday's contest with a 1-1
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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