NIU women’s tennis is looking to build upon its success and pick up its first conference wins this weekend against Eastern Michigan and Toledo.

NIU (9-7, 0-2 MAC) is hosting both matches and the squad hopes to stay perfect at home on the season. So far, NIU has gone 3-0 in home contests.

Kicking off action against Eastern Michigan (6-12, 2-1 MAC), NIU hopes to use the home court to its advantage, as EMU has struggled on the road this season. EMU suffered a six match losing streak on the road and snapped the skid with a 4-3 decision over Toledo last weekend. Overall, the squad is 3-10 in its last 13 matches.

The Eagles have been far from impressive this year, but the Huskies had a difficult time against them last season, dropping a 7-0 decision.

“Every match is tight,” said NIU coach Ryun Ferrell. “I expect Eastern Michigan to come in on Friday and battle their butts off and Toledo to come in and battle and almost make it where it’s personal. It’s kind of what you’re looking for and what you expect. We’re working our butts off to be ready for it.”

NIU has dropped its last six meetings against Toledo (8-8, 1-2 MAC) by a combined score of 36-6. With a new-look NIU roster, the squad should have a better chance than it did in last season’s 7-0 defeat.

With six of the eight athletes on the roster being underclassmen, including four freshmen, Ferrell is confident in his team’s aggressive style and sees a bright future.

“They’re the future,” Ferrell said. “The seniors are leading like they need to lead. They’re doing things by example, which is great. These freshmen just need to play and get comfortable in their own skin and understand what it’s like in a college match, how it’s different from juniors, and they just need to execute. So it’s huge to be giving them the experience they have now.”