ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women’s tennis team aced its first Mid-American Conference test on Friday afternoon, beating Bowling Green 5-2 at the Boylan Tennis Center.

The Huskies (6-7, 1-0 MAC) defeated the Falcons (2-12, 0-1 MAC) for the second consecutive season after previously having lost more than 10 consecutive matches to their conference rivals.

NIU women’s tennis head coach Tanya Gombera praised her team’s all-around performance on Friday after watching the Huskies open conference play with a win over the Falcons for the second straight year under her watch.

“It was great to get our first MAC win of the season and start 1-0 in conference play. Overall, it was a great and timely effort from start to finish for our team,” Gombera said of the match. “We look forward to building on this performance against a tough team like Ball State on Sunday.”

The Huskies opened the dual by winning the doubles point with victories in two of the three tandem matches, and NIU maintained that strong start by winning four of the six singles matches to secure the overall team victory.

Adey Osabuohien (Hazel Crest, Ill./Stony Brook) and Evelyn Youel (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) teamed up to win an impressive doubles match – and then both dominated in their singles matches as well to win in straight sets and complete a perfect 2-0 afternoon. Meghan Montgomerie (Irvin, Scotland/Beaconhurst) was the other Huskie who went undefeated against BGSU, winning her doubles match with partner Cristina Alvarez (Zaragoza, Spain/Cristorey and Sagrado Corazon de Jesus) and strolling to victory in her singles match as well.

Abigail Dekkinga (Allegan, Mich./Allegan) also impressed for NIU, excelling in the No. 3 singles position to win in straight sets and help lift the Huskies to a quality result.

As Coach Gombera mentioned, the NIU women’s tennis team will now face a very talented Ball State squad on the road on Easter Sunday as the Huskies meet the Cardinals in Muncie, Ind.

NIU 5, Bowling Green 2
Singles
No. 1: Adey Osabuohien (NIU) def. Paula Comella (BGSU), 7-6, 6-1
No. 2: Polina Radeva (BGSU) def. Cristina Alvarez (NIU), 7-5, 7-6
No. 3: Abigail Dekkinga (NIU) def. Drew Fillis (BGSU), 7-6, 6-3
No. 4: Emily Witt (BGSU) def. Michelle Erasmus (NIU), 6-1, 6-3
No. 5: Evelyn Youel (NIU) def. Leeah Floyd (BGSU), 6-0, 6-0
No. 6: Meghan Montgomerie (NIU) def. Antonina Farrar (BGSU), 6-0, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1: Radeva/Comella (BGSU) def. Erasmus/Dekkinga (NIU), 6-0
No. 2: Youel/Osabuohien (NIU) def. Witt/Fillis (BGSU), 6-2
No. 3: Montgomerie/Alvarez (NIU) def. Floyd/Marina Ferrero (BGSU), 6-3

--NIU--