NIU women’s tennis: Huskies drop pair of 4-3 matches

By Northern Star staff

Women’s tennis went winless in two matches over the weekend, dropping it to sixth in the MAC.

The Huskies (11-7, 2-4 MAC) dropped a pair of 4-3 matches, losing to the Ball State Cardinals on Friday in Rockford and the Western Michigan Broncos on Sunday in DeKalb.

Ball State

The Huskies and Cardinals split the six doubles matches. The deciding factor was the doubles point, which Ball State won, 2-0.

The doubles team of senior Nelle Youel and junior Cristina Alvarez lost its second-straight doubles match of the season.

Western Michigan

Youel and Alvarez got back in the win column with a 6-3 win Sunday to improve to 11-2.

The doubles victory put Youel atop the program’s all-time doubles wins list as she picked up her 74th victory. She also owns the program’s all-time career singles victories and career combined victories.

Despite taking the doubles point on Senior Day, the Huskies dropped four of the six singles matches as they dropped their second-straight 4-3 decision.

Future

The Huskies have gone 0-3 in conference play after opening 2-1.

If the season ended today the Huskies would occupy the sixth and final spot in the MAC Championships.

The close out the regular season against Akron and Buffalo, which look to be big matches. Buffalo is similarly 2-4 and is seventh in the MAC while Akron is 2-5 and eighth in the conference.