Favorable weather this weekend means the NIU women’s tennis team will have its first outdoor home match of the season.

The team plays the University of New York at Buffalo at 1 p.m. Friday and the University of Akron at 1 p.m. Saturday.

If it rains, the matches will take place at the Campus Recreation Center, but if it’s dry and warm, they’ll be held at the outdoor Anderson Hall tennis courts.

Coach Laura Scott said the team is excited about playing at home. Team members’ friends and family are expected to attend.

“We play very good in front of our fans,” Scott said.

She looks forward to everybody on the team participating, and said she will change the Huskies’ lineup so each player gets a chance. In practice, the team has been focusing on playing aggressively.

The Huskies’ Molly Opel said it’s easier to play at home.

“We’re probably a lot more rested than the other teams,” she said.

Other than that, she sees no difference between playing at home and playing on the road.

“We still want to win — we want to win just as much as we would if we were away,” Opel said.