UIC Knocks Off Butler In League Championships

April 28, 2002

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. - Top-seeded UIC took a 4-0 victory over the No. 2 Butler women's tennis team on Sunday (Apr. 28) at North Central High School in Indianapolis en route to capturing their sixth consecutive league crown and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs ended their campaign with a 13-12 record.

Nicole Derouin, the Horizon League Player of the Year, and Ayca Gumuscu teamed up to defeat Amy Steiner and Olivia Pedro at No. 1 doubles, 8-2. The Flames' Britta Dohmann and Zvjezdana Malesevic then beat Molly Figel and Christina Laun 8-2 at the No. 2 spot to give UIC the doubles point.

Derouin picked up her second win of the day with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Steiner in No. 1 singles and Malesevic also tallied another win on the afternoon with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Mindy Champion at No. 5 singles.

No. 3 Wright State downed No. 4 Youngstown State, 4-1, to capture third place honors on a day when 20-30 mile per hour wind and chilly conditions created havoc on the court.

Second seeded Butler earned its fourth consecutive trip to the finals following a pair of 4-0 shutouts over No. 3 Wright State in the semifinals and No. 7 Cleveland State in the first round.