MUNCIE, Ind. – For the second-straight day, the Northern Illinois University men’s tennis team claimed a one-point victory in league play as the Huskies defeated Ball State, 4-3, on the road on Sunday afternoon. Just as they had on Saturday against Toledo, the Huskies claimed the doubles points and three singles wins against the Cardinals to improve to 14-5 overall, 2-0 in MAC play.

“It was another game that went to the wire,” said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. “I'm really proud of our guys this weekend, it was best case scenario for us to come out of Ball State 2-0 in MAC; in my seven years here we have never beaten Ball State in Muncie. That being said, we haven't accomplished anything. Tomorrow starts a new week and new challenge of playing the best team in the league, by far, in Western Michigan.”

All three doubles matches finished 6-3, with NIU taking victories at two and three to claim the point. Sophomores Kevin Daun (Vasteras, Sweden/Widenska Gymnasiet Idrottscollege) and Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun) won their fourth consecutive match, and their ninth in the last 10, with a win over Conner Andersen and Tom Carney at number two.

Sophomores Louis-Philippe Hamel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) and Tom Hjertonsson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium) were winners at number three over Patrick Downs and Matt Helm for their 12th win of the season.

In singles, four of the six matches finished in two sets, with Hjertonsson claiming NIU’s only two-set win with a 6-1, 7-6 triumph over Conner Andersen at number four to take his seventh consecutive win.

NIU outlasted Ball State in a pair of three-set matches at three and five to clinch the victory. Lundkvist picked up his 19th win of the year with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Nemanja Guzina at three and Daun earned his sixth win in his last seven matches with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Marko Guzina at five.

The Huskies will return to action on Friday, March 25, when they travel to Kalamazoo, Mich., to meet Western Michigan.

NIU 4, Ball State 3

Doubles
1. Lucas Andersen/Andrew Stutz (BSU) def. Carlos Manzanas/Austin Russell (NIU), 6-3
2. Kevin Daun/Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Conner Andersen/Tom Carney (BSU), 6-3
3. Louis-Philippe Hamel/Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Patrick Downs/Matt Helm (BSU), 6-3

Singles
1. Lucas Andersen (BSU) def. Carlos Manzanas (NIU), 6-0, 6-1
2. Andrew Stutz (BSU) def. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU), 7-5, 6-3
3. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Nemanja Guzina (BSU), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
4. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Conner Andersen (BSU), 6-1, 7-6
5. Kevin Daun (NIU) def. Marko Guzina (BSU), 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
6. Patrick Downs (BSU) def. Austin Russell (NIU), 6-1, 7-5