NIU women’s tennis improved to 8-2 on Saturday with a 4-0 victory against the Valparaiso University Beacons and a 6-1 win over the Lewis University Flyers.
“We got pushed in some matches today,” said NIU women’s tennis head coach Eric Burns. “We were able to battle through those. With Valpo, the last four years has been a 4-3 match that the road team has won every year. For us to get that 4-0, and looking like we were well on our way to getting a 7-0 or a 6-1 was a good effort from us. Lewis played a great match, and really pushed us in a couple matches and the doubles point. We were able to fight through those situations and get through the match with a 6-1 win.”
VALPARAISO
Senior Maria Dzemeshkevich and junior Nataly Ninova bested Beacons junior Moira Silva and freshman Naomi Lalonde in a dominant 6-1 set.
Also in a 6-1 victory NIU junior Jenna Horne and senior Reagan Welch beat Valparaiso sophomores Jolene Fernandes and Lillian Kelly to clinch the doubles point.
Junior Isabella Righi and freshman Lucia Yecora were up 4-3 against freshmen Lacey Tanner and Brynn Steven when the match was ruled unfinished.
The first win in singles matches went to Yecora, who took two 6-1 sets against Steven to continue her undefeated streak.
After a close 7-5 first set, Ninova controlled a 6-2 second set for the victory against Fernandes.
Dzemeskevich sealed the win for NIU, battling in a close match against Silva in the No. 1 singles spot. Dzemeskevich took a 7-5 first set before a 7-6 (7-3) second set for the victory.
NIU was up in three matches when the competition ended after Dzemeskevich’s victory.
Freshman Irmak Budak lost a 7-5 first set against Lalonde, before coming back to take a 6-4 second set. Budak was leading the final set 4-3 at the completion of the match.
Righi was controlling her match against Tanner, up by a score of 6-2, 5-1 when the match was finished.
Freshman Theodora Kousiou won a 6-0 set against Kelly before the completion of the match.
LEWIS
The Huskies went into competition against Lewis with a 1-0 advantage, due to a forfeit at No. 6 singles.
Welch and Horne took a 7-6 (8-6) set against Flyers duo sophomore Sreevally Medishetti and junior Benedetta Luccone to clinch the doubles point for the Huskies. Welch and Horne are undefeated as a pair this season.
“It was huge,” Burns said on Welch and Horne’s win. “You lose that doubles point and then we end up in these three setters here and the pressure just makes it so easy to get tight in those situations. You get the doubles point under your belt, we already had a forfeit win from them only having five players, so we were up 2-0. It was huge in that match to get the doubles, and they fought off match points to get it, so that was really huge for us.”
Righi and Yecora dropped a 7-5 set against Lewis freshman Jordane Dookie and senior Sofiia Vdovychenko.
Winning the first set against Dookie 6-3, Dzemeshkevich lost a 6-3 second set before taking a 6-4 third set for the win.
Budak bested Vdovychenko in 6-1, 6-1 sets.
“I’m playing aggressive and I’m playing my game,” Budak said. “I normally play other’s games, but I’m trying to just play my game, attack the goal and serve well.”
Sophomore Sydney Paradise defeated Flyers freshman Avelynn Wen in dominant 6-1, 6-2 sets.
Welch took a 7-5 first set against Medishetti, before losing a 6-3 set to force a third. Welch controlled the third set, winning 6-3 for the victory.
The Huskies lost one singles match, when Horne was bested by Luccone in two 5-7 sets.
UP NEXT
The Huskies travel to face the University of South Dakota at 10 a.m. Friday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, before taking on the University of Sioux Falls at 2 p.m. Live stats will be available on IonCourt.
“We’re just going to have to bring our A-game against South Dakota,” Burns said. “South Dakota is a very strong team and it’s going to be a tough match for us on the road. We’ll just continue to keep doing what we’re doing here to try to get ready for that.”
