When NIU men’s tennis head coach Pat Fisher reviews video footage of foreign recruits, he has a tough time deciding whether the video tells the true tale of a player’s skills.

When it came to freshman Axel Lagerlof, Fisher had the normal doubts.

He had trouble finding match results for the recruit and could not confirm that Lagerlof was as good as advertised. Fisher was only able to speak with the Malmo, Sweden native over the phone prior to offering him a scholarship.

“Believe it or not, it felt risky recruiting him because a lot of it was based off the videos that I had seen,” Fisher said. “But that’s the standard sometimes for the overseas recruiting.”

With questions remaining unanswered entering the season, Fisher started Lagerlof at fourth singles for NIU’s first match on Jan. 23. After defeating Dayton’s fourth singles player in convincing fashion, 6-1, 6-1, Lagerlof already found himself advancing in the lineup.

At third singles, Lagerlof proved to Fisher that he could handle the competition. Lagerlof is 8-2 in third singles play and has found himself playing at second singles on frequent occasions.

His overall singles record of 12-4 is currently the best individual record on the team, with first singles player Maksym Bartiuk close behind, posting an 11-5 record.

It is safe to say that most questions about Lagerlof have been answered. He is described as being a fighter on the court that wills his way to victory in most matches.

“Axel has been everything that I could possibly ask for,” Fisher said. “He’s got to be right up in there for MAC Freshman of the Year, no doubt about it. I can’t think of anyone in the conference that is performing at a higher level than he is right now.”

Lagerlof has improved as the season progressed, and has not dropped a set since his last loss on Feb. 19 at Northwestern. He won seven straight matches since starting the season 5-4.

Although Lagerlof has enjoyed success on the court, there are aspects of American life that he has had to adjust to.

Lagerlof never previously visited the U.S. before coming to NIU and transitioning to college life has been somewhat bittersweet.

“I have met a lot of cool people here that are really nice,” Lagerlof said. “But at the same time I miss all the people from back home. It’s hard because I can’t see a lot of people I know and used to hang out with all the time.”

The first time Lagerlof can return to his homeland will be in the summer, but with the success he has had so far at NIU, it is a bit easier to wait. Lagerlof said that he can wait for summer, but it will be fun to finally be back in Sweden when the time comes.

Lagerlof and the rest of the NIU men’s tennis team will square off at Bradley at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.