ST. LOUIS – Following the UIC women's tennis team's first Missouri Valley Conference regular season title, three Flames earned MVC postseason awards, the conference announced Thursday morning. Head coach Elizabeth Lumpkin Robinson was named MVC Coach of the Year while seniors Anaïs Brion and Paula Rodriguez Gregoris collected second-team all-conference recognition.
 
Lumpkin Robinson received her first MVC Coach of the Year award after leading the Flames to a 14-6 record and a perfect 7-0 record in regular season conference play. The regular season conference championship was not only the first for UIC since joining the Valley, but also the program's first regular season conference crown since 2021 when it competed in the Horizon League. Along with an undefeated MVC record, Lumpkin Robinson led the Flames to a 4-3 victory over Big Ten Conference opponent Indiana, UIC's first win over a Big Ten school since 2010.
 
Brion was named to the All-MVC Second Team at the No. 3 singles position. A native of Neuilly-Sur-Seine, France, she has accumulated a 14-6 record in singles play this season, going 7-0 in conference matches. Brion lost just four sets in conference play and is on an eight-match overall winning streak heading into the MVC tournament.
 
Senior Paula Rodriguez Gregoris was also selected to the All-MVC Second Team, recognized at the No. 6 singles position. Hailing from the Canary Islands, Rodriguez Gregoris has a 7-3 overall record this season in singles play and 4-2 record in conference contests. At No. 6 singles, Rodriguez Gregoris has posted a 5-2 record this year. She has also tallied a 5-1 record in doubles matches to date.
 
UP NEXT
 
UIC is back in action at 10 a.m. (CT) Saturday when it takes on either fourth-seeded Bradley or No. 5 seed Drake in the MVC Championship semifinals at XS Tennis Village in Chicago. This will be the top-seeded Flames' third consecutive Valley semifinal appearance, as they seek to defend their 2025 MVC postseason championship.
 
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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).