CHICAGO (April 5, 2024) – The UIC women's tennis program (6-10, 2-1 MVC) is back home for two matches this weekend, as the Flames host Northern Iowa (3-11, 0-3 MVC) Saturday and Belmont (9-7, 2-1 MVC) Sunday in Missouri Valley Conference action.
 
Saturday's match against the Panthers will start at 11 a.m., while Sunday's against the Bruins will take place at 10 a.m. Both matches will take place at either the XS Tennis Village or Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts, depending on weather.
 
SCOUTING NORTHERN IOWA

• The Panthers enter Saturday's match on a four-match losing streak and are still looking for their first conference win of the season.
• In its last match, UNI lost 7-0 to Murray State. Northern Iowa's lost its other two conference matches by 7-0 (at Drake) and 6-1 (at Missouri State) scores.
• Junior Darta Dalecka leads the Panthers with 13 singles victories this year, while senior Andrijana Brkic has 11 singles wins.
• The Flames are on a five-match winning streak against the Panthers, dating back to 2006. UIC leads the all-time series 6-3.
• Last season UIC defeated UNI 6-1 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Saturday's match is the first held in Chicago between the two programs since 2016.

SCOUTING BELMONT

• The Bruins have nine wins in 2024 and are on a two-match win streak in conference play.
• Both Belmont and UIC have conference wins against Bradley and losses against Illinois State. Belmont will face Valparaiso Saturday at 2 p.m. prior to facing the Flames.
• The team is currently 1-4 in road matches this season.
• Sophomore Mariia Hlahola is 12-3 on the season at the No. 1 singles position and has an 8-2 record across her last ten matches.

LAST MATCH RECAP

• Playing in very windy conditions, the Flames dropped their first MVC contest of the season, falling 5-2 to Illinois State Saturday at the Gregory Street Tennis Courts.
• The Flames won the doubles point for their third match in a row. UIC's No. 1 doubles pair of Agnes Gustafsson (Paris, France/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium) and 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.) both won their matches 6-4.
• In singles competition, Anaïs Brion (Neuilly Sur Seine, France/Texas A&M - Corpus Christi) won her match at No. 6 singles in straight sets. The sophomore has won the last three singles matches she has competed in and has six singles victories in 2024.

 WEEKLY HONOR FOR AGNES GUSTAFSSON AND MAYU USHIO

• The Missouri Valley Conference named senior Agnes Gustafsson and junior Mayu Ushio its Doubles Team of the Week Wednesday afternoon.
• Ushio and Gustafsson went 2-0 for the Flames at the No. 1 singles position this past week, with victories against Bradley and Illinois State. The duo helped UIC to doubles points victories against the Braves and Redbirds. 
• Ushio and Gustafsson are on a three-match win streak and are undefeated in MVC play at No. 1 doubles this spring. The tandem has played 14 matches at No. 1 doubles this season and have a 8-6 record in 2024.
• This is Ushio's first weekly award by the MVC this season and Gustafsson's third. The conference named Gustafsson its Singles Player of the Week on March 20 and February 14.

 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).