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Camille Belberka
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Match Recap: Women's Tennis |

Women’s Tennis Edged Out by Missouri State, 4-3

The Flames won the doubles point and two singles matches in Saturday’s loss to the Bears

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (April 13, 2024) – Competing in a four-hour match, the UIC women's tennis program (8-11, 4-2 MVC) was narrowly defeated 4-3 by Missouri State (11-8, 2-3 MVC) in a hard-fought conference clash at the Cooper Tennis Courts.
 
The Flames won the doubles point, while senior Agnes Gustafsson (Paris, France/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium) and junior Camille Belberka (Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg, France Seward County Community College (Kan.) were victories in their singles matches Saturday afternoon.
 
With two matches remaining in the 2024 regular season, the Flames sit in third-place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.
 
 
COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH ELIZABETH LUMPKIN ROBINSON
 
"Our doubles matches were strong today and we built confidence in our outdoor tennis play. We learned valuable lessons that we will use to re-group and re-set for a strong push through the home stretch of our regular season."
 
MATCH RECAP
  • The Flames won the doubles point with victories by UIC's No. 1 pair of Gustafsson and junior Mayu Ushio (Yamaguchi, Japan/Miami University) and the No. 2 doubles team 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.). Malazonia and Belberka have a team-high 12 doubles wins in 2024 and are on a ten-match win streak dating back to Feb. 10.
  • Down 5-1 in the first set at No. 1 singles, Gustafsson came back to win the set 7-5. The senior cruised 6-2 in the second set to sweep her Missouri State opponent.
  • After splitting the first two sets at No. 4 singles, Belberka won the third set via a 7-3 tiebreak to win the match. The victory moved the junior to 4-1 in MVC competition and was her ninth win of 2024.
  • At No. 2 singles, Malazonia saved three match points, but ultimately lost in straight sets.
  • With the team match tied 3-3, Missouri State's Tuana Gunal defeated Ushio in three sets to clinch the 4-3 victory for the Bears.
Full results from Saturday's match are below.

RESULTS
 
MSU 4, UIC 3

Doubles – UIC wins the doubles point
  1. Gustafsson/Ushio (UIC) def. Flaquer/Ross (MSU) 6-1
  2. Malazonia/Belberka (UIC) def. Gunal/Robinson (MSU) 6-2
  3. Houston/Lukacova (MSU) def. Ryan/Rodriguez Gregoris (UIC) 7-5
Singles
  1. Gustafsson (UIC) def. Flaquer (MSU) 7-5, 6-2
  2. Houston (MSU) def. Malazonia (UIC) 6-1, 7-5
  3. Gunal (MSU) def. Ushio (UIC) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
  4. Belberka (UIC) def. Robinson (MSU) 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3)
  5. Ross (MSU) def. Ryan (UIC) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
  6. Lukacova (MSU) def. Brion (UIC) 6-2, 6-3
UP NEXT
  • The Flames are back on the court Sunday as the team takes on Murray State (10-8, 1-3 MVC) in Missouri Valley Conference action. Sunday's match will take place starting at 12 p.m. CT at the Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts.
  • Murray State currently sits atop the MVC standings with a 11-5 overall record and a 4-0 record in conference play.
  • The Racers are on a four-match win streak and are 6-1 at home.
  • The Flames trail in the all-time series 3-1. The two teams faced each other twice last season. UIC won 5-2 in the record season but Murray State got the better of the Flames (4-3) in the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Tennis Championship Opening Round.
  • Sunday's contest will be UIC first road match at Murray State since joining the MVC.
SUPPORT THE CHICAGO COLLECTIVE
  • Fans are strongly encouraged to support NIL opportunities for UIC student-athletes through contributions to The Chicago Collective.
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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