DeKALB – Friday afternoon’s MAC matchup between the Huskies and the Eastern Michigan University Eagles ended in a narrow 4-3 NIU victory. 

The Huskies trailed 3-1 in the first four matches of play and were just one loss away from defeat. Three consecutive victories in the final matchups clinched this victory for NIU.

The win snapped NIU’s three-game road skid while improving their overall record to 12-12 and 2-4 against MAC opponents. The Eagles fall below .500 at 5-6 overall and 2-4 in MAC play. 

DOUBLES

NIU started slowly with losses at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. NIU won just one of three matchups during doubles play.

Sophomores Prerna Vichare and Sabina Brichackova defeated sophomore Erika Dimitriev and freshman Nataly Ninova in a 6-4 victory at the No.1 spot. 

Huskie sophomore Reagan Welch and junior Diana Lukyanova took a bitter 6-1 defeat against freshmen Wanyi Zhang and Daniella Shved to round off the No.2 spot.

SINGLES

Despite winning just 1 out of 3 matchups during doubles, the Huskies won 4 out of 6 matches during singles play. With three consecutive victories to close out the match, NIU put together a 4-3 comeback.                                                                                            

Dimitriev redeemed herself after a 6-1 defeat during doubles play as she clinched a tiebreaker win against junior Andrea Quiroz at the No.1 spot. Dimitriev won the match by a score of 6-3 to close out the third set, giving NIU its first singles victory of the afternoon. 

Lukyanova secured the second point of the afternoon at the No. 2 spot after a loss during doubles. Lukaynova won her matchup against Vichare by a 6-1 score in another redemption victory.

Freshman Isabella Righi came back after suffering a 6-0 shutout in the first set against Brichackova. Righi won the match by a score of 6-3 in the tiebreaking set after a 7-6 victory in the second set.

Sophomore Angelica Ross clinched the final match of the evening in a three-round thriller against junior Linda Nga. The former MAC Player of the Week won by a score of 7-6 after losing the first round in a 4-3 defeat. Ross’s victory clinched a 4-3 win for the Huskies.

UP NEXT

NIU’s next match is at noon on April 14 as the Huskies return home to Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House for a rematch against Eastern Michigan University.