Throughout the season, the NIU men’s tennis team has used playing at home to its advantage.

The Huskies have posted a 6-3 record while on their own courts.

NIU (10-7 overall, 2-3 MAC) will look to use this home court advantage, as it hosts the MAC Championships starting today.

“It’s always nice when you know your surroundings very well,” said NIU coach Pontus Hiort. “For our three seniors, it’s great to have the conference tournament at home. It’s a nice way to go out.”

“We’re very excited,” junior Brian Livingston said. “Hopefully a lot of people come out and cheer us on.”

The No. 4 seed Huskies face off against fifth-seeded Chicago State (4-11, 1-4) at 2 p.m. NIU beat the Cougars 6-1 on April 16.

But even with the victory, Hiort knows not to overlook any team in the tournament.

“It’s basically a new season,” Hiort said. “We have to go in with the mindset that they are going to present a challenge. We’ll have to play hard and be focused.”

The Huskies are coming off a 7-0 loss against Western Michigan on Saturday. With the defeat, Livingston noticed a change in the team’s preparation.

“We took Sunday off,” Livingston said. “No one really spoke on the trip back. But Monday and Tuesday everyone came out practicing much harder than I’ve seen in the past.”

The winner of the NIU-CSU match will face off against top-seeded Western Michigan at 10 a.m. Friday.

The MAC Championships take place at the Huskie Tennis Courts. However, if there is inclement weather, the tournament will be moved to the Clock Tower Racquet Club in Rockford.