DES MOINES, Iowa – The Northern Illinois University women’s tennis team battled until the very end at Drake on Saturday morning but were unable to pull off the road victory, dropping a 4-3 dual match.

The Huskies (5-5) stole the doubles point off the Bulldogs (8-7) to give NIU a promising beginning to the contest, but Drake responded by winning four singles matchups to complete the comeback, including a three-set showdown in the No. 2 singles match that decided the dual.

NIU women’s tennis head coach Tanya Gombera was pleased with her team’s effort against the reigning Missouri Valley Conference second-place team, saying this type of match will prepare the Huskies for their upcoming Mid-American Conference schedule.

“Against an extremely good Drake team, I felt that we played one of our best matches of the season. We played especially well in doubles to earn the key doubles point,” Gombera said. “We are definitely peeking at the right time, and I know if we continue to improve at this rate that we can be successful in the MAC this season.”

Adey Osabuohien (Hazel Crest, Ill./Stony Brook) continued her strong form at No. 1 singles, winning her ninth consecutive singles match. Going back to last season with Nelle Youel’s 20-0 mark at No. 1 singles, the Huskies have now remarkably won the No. 1 singles match in 29 of the 30 duals that Gombera has been the NIU head coach.

Combining with her fellow MAC Doubles Players of the Week honoree Evelyn Youel (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) at No. 1 doubles, Osabuohien helped lift the Huskies to the doubles point as well with a key victory that proved decisive in doubles and gave NIU a 1-0 lead.

Meghan Montgomerie (Irvin, Scotland/Beaconhurst) also recorded a singles win for the Huskies with a straight-set triumph in the No. 6 match, giving NIU its second team point at the time. Osabuohien then added a third, but the Huskies were unable to secure that fourth team point that would’ve swung the match in their favor.

Cristina Alvarez (Zaragoza, Spain/Cristorey and Sagrado Corazon de Jesus) came closest after winning the first set in the No. 2 singles match before seeing Maddie Johnson of Drake rally to win that match.

Up next, the NIU women’s tennis team will head down to Florida over spring break. The Huskies will face Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday in Fort Meyers and Florida Atlantic on Thursday in Boca Raton, which will be the final two matches for NIU before MAC play begins on March 25 versus Bowling Green.

Drake 4, NIU 3
Singles
No. 1: Adey Osabuohien (NIU) def. Mariel Ante (DU), 6-4, 6-1
No. 2: Maddie Johnson (DU) def. Cristina Alvarez (NIU), 3-6, 6-0, 6-3
No. 3: Summer Brills (DU) def. Michelle Erasmus (NIU), 6-2, 6-0
No. 4: Tess Herder (DU) def. Abigail Dekkinga (NIU), 6-2, 6-3
No. 5: Joely Lomas (DU) def. Evelyn Youel (NIU), 6-1, 7-5
No. 6: Meghan Montgomerie (NIU) def. Mela Jaglarz (DU), 6-3, 6-2

Doubles
No. 1: Osabuohien/Youel (NIU) def. Ante/Herder (DU), 7-5
No. 2: Johnson/Lomas (DU) def. Erasmus/Dekkinga (NIU), 6-4
No. 3: Alvarez/Montgomerie (NIU) def. Brills/Jaglarz (DU), 7-6

--NIU--