With head coach Patty Newbrough out, the NIU women’s tennis team dropped two this weekend in Des Moines, Iowa, bringing their record to 9-9.

After suffering a 6-1 defeat to University of Illinois in Champaign, Thursday, the Huskies got right back on the road for a bumpy trip to Des Moines where they faced Drake University and Iowa State.

In Saturday’s dual meet with Iowa State, the Cyclones jumped out to a 3-0 lead winning the first half of the singles matches. Svetlana Nedeljkovic’s 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 victory in the No. 3 spot of singles play sparked a three-match winning streak completed by Ivana Nikolic and Brenda Brown, to help the Huskies tie the score at three.

ISU won the first two doubles matches, 7-5, 6-4, and 6-3, 6-3, to seal the victory. The Huskies’ Jennifer Karges and Ivana Nikolic were winners in the third doubles match, 6-3, 6-1, but that didn’t matter as ISU won the heartbreaker 5-4.

“The doubles play was a trouble spot for us all weekend,” academic counselor Tim Becker said while filling in as head coach for mother-to-be Patty Newbrough.

Sunday’s doubles matches did not prove to be any better against the Bulldogs of Drake as the Huskies went without winning one.

The singles matches were a little more impressive for the Huskies as they won three of six. After losing the first two singles matches, Sarah Murfey pulled off a 7-5, 6-1 victory for the Huskies to help push the momentum NIU’s way. In the next match, Svetlana Nedeljkovic defeated Stephaine DeWald of the Bulldogs in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, to lock the score at two.

After Nikolic dropped the fourth match in straight sets to Drake’s Susan Hall, 6-2, 6-2, Brenda Bowen came from behind to win the last two sets in the final singles match of the day, defeating Nicole Galanci, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Despite the effort in the singles matches, the Huskies were downed by the Bulldogs, 6-3.

“Against Drake, I was hoping that Sarah (Murfey) and Svetlana’s (Nedeljkovic) great singles games would carry over into doubles play,” Becker said. They both worked very hard together at the No. 1 doubles spot, but towards the end they got tired.”

Becker and the Huskies did not reach Des Moines until 11 p.m. Friday night, and Becker claims “the women were feeling the residuals Saturday. They were tired and trying to work the kinks out.”

The Huskies, who have spent the whole month of March on the road, will get a week to rest before hitting the road one last time when they travel to Bloomington to face Illinois State on Saturday, and then coming home to host the Mid-Con Championships, Friday, April 23.