CHICAGO – UIC head men's tennis coach Jovan Parlic has announced the signing of transfer Nikola Puntaric (Ljubljana, Slovenia/Tulsa/Northern Illinois), the first official signee for the 2026-27 season. 
 
"Nikola is an established player who dominated the MAC last season," said Parlic. "We are excited to have him join our program and compete in the Valley."
 
Puntaric joins the Flames after spending one season at Northern Illinois and one year at Tulsa. During his one season in MAC competition, the Slovenia native accumulated 32 wins, going 18-3 in singles play and 14-6 in doubles. He was the first player in program history to win the top flight of the MAC Indoor Singles Championship, qualifying for the ITA Conference Masters. 

After a successful season, Puntaric earned multiple conference accolades, including two MAC Singles Player of the Week honors, an All-MAC First Team citation and All-MAC Tournament recognition. 
 
"We are looking forward to adding the level of player Nikola is to our program," Parlic stated. "He is an athlete who will help elevate our program on the court and will find success in the classroom." 

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the UIC men's tennis program, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_MTEN and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_mten and @uicflames).