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Belmont Athletics
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#6 Missouri State MOST (13-10)
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Winner # 3 UIC UIC (10-12)
#6 Missouri State MOST
(13-10)
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Final
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# 3 UIC UIC
(10-12)
Winner

Match Recap: Women's Tennis |

No. 3 Women’s Tennis Advances to MVC Semifinals with 4-0 Sweep Over No. 6 Missouri State

The Flames take on No. 2 Illinois State Saturday at 5 p.m.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 26, 2024) – The No. 3 UIC women's tennis program dominated from start to finish, as the Flames made quick work of No. 6 Missouri State, sweeping the Bears 4-0 to advance to the semifinals of the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Tennis Championship.
 
The Flames swept the doubles point and secured straight-set victories at the Nos. 1, 2 and 4 singles positions by senior Agnes Gustafsson (Paris, France/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium), senior Tamara Malazonia (Birmingham, United Kingdom/St. Paul's School for Girls) and junior Camille Belberka (Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg, France Seward County Community College (Kan.) to clinch the match victory over Missouri State.
   
The victory is UIC's first postseason win as a member of the MVC. With Friday's victory the Flames will face No. 2 Illinois State in Saturday's semifinal match. The contest between UIC and ISU will take place starting at 5 p.m. at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex.

COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH ELIZABETH LUMPKIN ROBINSON

"I was really proud of the way our team competed and played for each other today. We are playing with a strong purpose and mission and are excited to continue in the 2024 MVC Women's Tennis Championship. We are enjoying this season and fighting to stay on this journey together one match at a time. We are now going to get ready for another battle tomorrow."
 
MATCH RECAP
  • The Flames swept the doubles point, cruising to victories in both matches.
  • UIC's No. 2 doubles pair of Belberka and Malazonia continued its winning ways, defeating their Bears opponents 6-2. The duo remains undefeated in MVC action this season.
  • The No. 1 pair doubles pair of Gustafsson and junior Mayu Ushio (Yamaguchi, Japan/Miami University) won their match 6-1. At No. 3 doubles, senior Zara Ryan (Dublin, Ireland/Utah State) and sophomore Paula Rodriguez Gregoris (Canary Islands, Spain/International School of Berne) had a 5-2 lead in their match, but it went unfished duo to the Flames already securing the doubles point.
  • In singles competition, Gustafsson made quick work of her opponent, winning in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.
  • At No. 4 singles, Belberka won 6-2, 6-3 to secure her team-high 12th singles victory of the season.
  • With the Flames leading 3-0 in the team score, Malazonia completed a straight-sets victory with a 6-1 second set win to clinch the match for the Flames. UIC's matches at the Nos. 3, 5 and 6 positions went unfinished due to the Flames already securing the match victory.

 NEWS AND NOTES
  • UIC has won the doubles point in every conference competition this season.
  • Malazonia and Belberka have a team-high 15 doubles wins in 2024 and are on a 13-match win streak dating back to Feb. 10.
  • Friday's victory was UIC's first at a neutral site since defeating North Dakota in Feb. 2023.
  • This is UIC's second sweep of the season. The Flames swept Northern Iowa on April 6.
  • The Flames have won seven of their last ten matches.

Full results from Friday's match are below. 

RESULTS
 
UIC 4, MSU 0

Doubles – UIC wins the doubles point
  1. Gustafsson/Ushio (UIC) def. Gunal/Robinson (MSU) 6-1
  2. Malazonia/Belberka (UIC) def. Flaquer/Ross (MSU) 6-2
  3. Ryan/Rodriguez Gregoris (UIC) def. Houston/Lukacova (MSU) 5-2, unfinished
Singles
  1. Gustafsson (UIC) def. Flaquer (MSU) 6-1, 6-3
  2. Malazonia (UIC) def. Houston (MSU) 6-4, 6-1
  3. Gunal (MSU) vs. Ushio (UIC) 7-6 (7-3), unfinished
  4. Belberka (UIC) def. Ross (MSU) 6-2, 6-3
  5. Robinson (MSU) vs. Ryan (UIC) 6-4, 2-5, unfinished
  6. Lukacova (MSU) vs. Brion (UIC) 7-6 (8-6), unfinished
UP NEXT
  • The No. 3 Flames face No. 2 Illinois State in the MVC Semifinals Saturday.
  • Earlier this season the Redbirds defeated the Flames 5-2, with the Flames winning the doubles point and securing a victory at No. 6 singles in the late-March loss.
  • The Flames are 12-14 all-time against the Redbirds. Saturday's match will be the first neutral site competition between the two programs.
  • If UIC wins, the Flames will face the winner of No. 1 Murray State and No. 4 Belmont in the MVC Championship Sunday morning at 11 a.m. CT.
  • Live stats for Saturday's match can be found here.
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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