Feb. 13, 2011

Final Results

ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Northern Illinois women's tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision to Southern Illinois on Sunday afternoon at the Boylan Tennis Center. The Huskies picked up points at fifth and sixth singles.

"I told my team that the attitude was right and the effort was right, and that's what we want," said NIU head coach Ryun Ferrell. "That is probably the best we have played in a loss all season. I like where we are, I've never seen a team improve this much in one month in my 15 years of coaching, so I'm excited for what the next month will bring."

Northern Illinois (1-5) lost the doubles point, falling at first and second singles 8-4 and 8-5 at third doubles.

In singles play, Haley Dekkinga earned her second victory of the weekend in flight five, bettering Anastacia Simons, 6-4, 6-2.

"Haley is really good at making her opponent not want to play," said Ferrell. "The first set was tight but she kept working and her opponent started to back away and just didn't want to be around anymore."

The Huskies other singles point came in flight six where Southern Illinois defaulted the match to NIU's Ilse Pacheco.

In flight two, Kelly Phillips, playing her first weekend in that position, played a tough three-set match with Anita Lee. Phillips took the first set, 6-4, but Lee responded to take flight two, 6-3, and take the tiebreaker third set, 10-7.

"Kelly played her third match at number two and it has been nice to see, as a sophomore, her step up and play well in that position," said Ferrell.

The Salukis also earned singles points at number one, three and four.

NIU will return to action on Friday, Feb. 18, when it travels to Green Bay, Wis., to play UW-Green Bay.