Rome, GA – UIC women's tennis standout duo sophomore Kristina Tai and senior Nia Cooper have officially qualified to represent the Flames at the upcoming ITA Conference Masters Championships. The tournament will take place November 5–8, 2026, at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia.

Tai and Cooper punched their tickets to the national stage by locking down the Missouri Valley Conference automatic doubles allocation. The pair dominated the top flight earlier this fall at the Redbird Invitational, ultimately securing the Flight 1 Doubles title with a decisive 8-5 victory over Illinois State's Nicole Benedetti and Elena Peretti to punch their ticket to Georgia.

SCHEDULE:

First match is scheduled for Thursday November 5th at 4:45 ET against McNeese State.

November 5–8, 2026

ITA Conference Masters Championships – Rome, Ga.

Hosted at the Rome Tennis Center

CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION:

The ITA Conference Masters Championships feature elite designated singles players and doubles teams representing AQ-eligible NCAA Division I conferences. Postseason stakes are high: the top two doubles finalists from the tournament field will earn direct qualification into the NCAA Individual Championships scheduled for later this month.

QUOTE FROM HEAD COACH RYAN JUMP:

"We're very excited for Nia and Kristina to represent the MVC at Conference Masters - to be one of 32 teams competing for a chance to qualify for the Individual Championships is a tremendous opportunity, and I am proud of their achievements so far this fall!"
 

RESULTS:

Live draws, updates, and final scores will be available via the ITA Tennis Page.

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For more information on the UIC women's tennis program, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media on X (@UIC_WTEN and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_wten and @uicflames).