PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Tennis (4-8, 0-0) opens Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend, hitting the road to face UIC on Saturday, March 28, and Valparaiso on Sunday, March 29.

MATCH INFORMATION – AWAY at UIC (7-6, 0-0)
Where: XS Tennis Village - Chicago, Ill.
When: Saturday, March 28 - 3:00 p.m.

MATCH INFORMATION – AWAY at VALPARAISO (10-3, 0-0)
Where: The Courts of Northwest Indiana - Valparaiso, Ind.
When: Sunday, March 29 - 9:00 a.m.

PREVIEWING THE FLAMES
The UIC Flames are 7-6 on the season. Most recently, the Flames swept Holy Cross College (NAIA), 7-0, at home. The victory snapped a two-match losing streak for UIC, which had fallen to DePaul on March 6, 4-0, and Northern Illinois on March 8, 6-1. UIC has been dominant at home this season, boasting a 7-1 record that features a 4-3 victory over Indiana on Feb. 27.

Saturday's match will mark the 18th all-time meeting between UIC and Bradley and the fourth matchup between the two as MVC foes. Of the 18 meetings, this will mark the 11th match that UIC has hosted. The Flames have won all three MVC contests between the two programs, including last season's matchup in Chicago, 6-1. 

UIC's top player in wins during the dual season is Nia Cooper, who has gone 8-2 across matches on courts two, four and five. Cooper has primarily played on the fifth singles court, where she is 5-2, the most wins by any Flame on a single court. Freshman Charlotte Deletioglu has six wins across three courts, while Edit Cosmo and Marta Halbersztadt have four wins on courts one and two, respectively. In doubles, no pair of Flames has more than three wins in 2026, and only three have at least two wins. Deletioglu and Halbersztadt have combined for three wins, all coming on doubles court three.

PREVIEWING THE BEACONS
The Valparaiso Beacons are 10-3 on the dual season. Most recently, Valparaiso earned a road victory at Chicago State on March 21, 5-2. The match was Valparaiso's first one since Feb. 21. The Beacons have won five consecutive matches dating to Feb. 7, including victories over Oakland and St. Thomas. Valparaiso is 7-3 on its home court this season, with four of those victories coming against Division I opponents.

Sunday's matchup will mark the 26th all-time meeting between Valparaiso and Bradley. Of those 26 matchups, this will be the eighth time the two programs have met in conference play. The Braves possess an 18-7 record against the Beacons, dating to 1998. Since Feb. 9, 2007, Bradley is 15-1 against Valparaiso, including a 6-1 record at Valparaiso. Last season, Bradley earned a 4-3 victory at Valparaiso.

Valparaiso is led by Moira Silva and Andrea Delgado, both of whom have 13 wins across the 2025-26 season and 11 wins during the dual season. Silva boasts an 11-1 record on court number one, while Delgado is 11-0 on court five. The Beacon with the next-most wins is Lacey Tanner, who is 7-4 in dual action across courts two and three. In doubles, the pair of Silva and Brynn Steven is 7-0 on court two, while Delgado and Alexandra Popa are 4-0 on court three.

LAST TIME OUT
The Braves last competed on Friday, March 13, when they fell to Saint Louis, 4-3, in St. Louis. Anna Belogliadova and Compassion Tsai picked up their fourth win together during the dual season, earning a 6-3 victory on doubles court two. The win earned the duo MVC Doubles Team of the Week honors. 

In singles, Mariia Pukhina and Ann Hsieh rallied to win their matches on courts two and four, earning three-set wins after dropping set one. Amber won in straight sets on court six.

COMING UP...
Bradley will play its first home conference matches next weekend, as the Braves host Murray State and Belmont on April 3 and 4. Friday's first serve against Murray State is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at the Markin Tennis Courts, weather permitting. In the event weather is an issue, the matches will be played at Parkside Fitness.