April 30, 2000

Indianapolis, Ind. - The UIC women's tennis team won its fourth-straight Midwestern Collegiate Conference title on Sunday afternoon as they edged out Butler, 5-4, in the MCC Women's Tennis Championship at North Central High School in Indianapolis, Ind.

With the win, the Flames advance to the 2000 NCAA Women's Tennis Championship, which begins March 12-14 with first-round sites and pairings to be announced on Thursday, May 4, at 2:30 p.m. CDT. UIC will be making its second consecutive appearance in the 64-team tournament.

"It really hasn't sunk in yet," first-year head coach Mary Dailey remarked moments after the match. "There has been a lot of pressure on these kids all year long as the (three-time) defending champion. All of the teams in this league have gotten better and we lost our No. 1 and No. 2 from last year, meaning everyone on the team had to step up and take charge. I thought we did that as a team today."

The Flames (10-12) and Bulldogs battled down to the final match on Sunday as Butler rallied from an early deficit. With the match tied 4-4, all eyes focused on UIC freshman Zvjezdana Malesevic in the No. 5 singles contest. Zvjezdana, who won the first set, 7-5, but dropped the second, 3-6, secured the title with a 6-2 triumph in the third set over BU's Sara Karges.

The match started with Dailey's crew jumping out to a 2-1 advantage as the tandems of Jacki Farr the 1999-2000 MCC Women's Tennis Player of the Year, and Nicole Derouin and Alyson Stalzer and Kim Harris, earned doubles titles in the No. 1 and 3 contests.

Stalzer (6-2, 6-3/No. 6) and Derouin (6-0, 6-1/No. 3) turned right around and claimed singles championships to give UIC a commanding 4-1 advantage. Needing just one more victory to clinch the match, the Flames watched Butler take the No. 1, 2, and 4 singles frays to tie the score at 4-4. That set up Zvjezdana to be the hero with her triumph in the No. 5 single slot.

On Saturday, UIC advanced to the Championship match with a 9-0 sweep of UW-Green Bay in the tournament semifinals.

2000 MCC Women's Tennis Championship -

North Central High School, Indianapolis, Ind.

Championship

April 30, 2000

UIC 5  Butler 4


Singles Results
1. Pamela Rodriguez, BU defeated Jacki Farr, UIC 7-6, 6-4
2. Olivia Pedro, BU defeated Emina Curic, UIC 6-0, 7-6
3. Nicole Derouin, UIC defeated Amy Steiner, BU 6-0, 6-1
4. Molly Figel, BU defeated Zorica Malesevic, UIC 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
5. Zvjezdana Malesevic, UIC defeated Sara Karges, BU 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
6. Alyson Stalzer, UIC defeated Lisa Valle, BU 6-2, 6-3

Doubles Results
1. Farr/Derouin, UIC defeated Pedro/Rodriguez, BU 8-5
2. Figel/Steiner, BU defeated Curic/Malesevic, UIC 8-6
3. Kim Harris/Stalzer, UIC defeated Karges/Jill Kenamond, BU 8-5



2000 MCC Women's Tennis Championship -

North Central High School, Indianapolis, Ind.

Semifinal Round

April 29, 2000

UIC 9  UW-Green Bay 0

Singles Results
1. Jacki Farr, UIC defeated Lianna Dorn, UWGB 6-3, 6-2
2. Emina Curic, UIC defeated DeeAnn Yunk, UWGB 6-1, 6-0
3. Nicole Derouin, UIC defeated Holly Wendorff, UWGB 6-2, 6-3
4. Zorica Malesevic, UIC defeated Andrea Nilsen, UWGB 6-3, 6-1
5. Zvjezdana Malesevic, UIC defeated Erin Parks, UWGB 6-1, 6-1
6. Alyson Stalzer, UIC defeated Mariah Goecke, UWGB 6-0, 6-3

Doubles Results
1. Farr/Derouin, UIC defeated Dorn/Yunk, UWGB 8-2
2. Malesevic/Curic, UIC defeated Goecke/Nilsen, UWGB 8-3
3. Stalzer/Kim Harris, UIC defeated Parks/Wendorff, UWGB 9-8