MUNCIE, Ind. – The Northern Illinois University women’s tennis team dropped a Mid-American Conference dual on Easter Sunday against the streaking Ball State Cardinals by a scoreline of 5-2.

Despite winning two singles matches, the Huskies (6-8, 1-1 MAC) were unable to stay with the Cardinals (15-2, 2-0 MAC) as Ball State won its 12th-straight dual match of the season to stay undefeated in conference play while also handing NIU its first league defeat. The Huskies had defeated Bowling Green at home on Friday in their MAC debut this spring.

Ball State opened the contest by winning two doubles matches to take the doubles point to lead 1-0. The Cardinals then won four of the six singles showdowns with the Huskies to defeat NIU for the fourth consecutive season.

Adey Osabuohien (Hazel Crest, Ill./Stony Brook) emerged victorious for NIU in the No. 1 singles match against Peyton Gollhofer by winning in straight sets to improve her impressive individual record this season to 12-2 while remaining undefeated in singles in the MAC.

Meghan Montgomerie (Irvin, Scotland/Beaconhurst) was the other Huskie to get the better of her opponent on Sunday, rallying from a set down in her No. 6 singles match to down Julia Sbiercea of Ball State in the third-set tiebreaker. The NIU freshman improved to 7-7 (2-0 MAC) this season individually with her two victories this weekend to begin her career in the Mid-American Conference.

After protecting their home courts at the Boylan Tennis Center in Rockford to the tune of a 3-1 home record thus far in 2016, the Huskies hope to return to DeKalb for a key MAC dual this Friday if weather permits outdoor play.

The Huskies will welcome Akron to the NIU Tennis Courts, starting at 1 p.m. CT on April 1.

Ball State 5, NIU 2
Singles
No. 1: Adey Osabuohien (NIU) def. Peyton Gollhofer (BSU), 6-1, 6-4
No. 2: Carmen Blanco (BSU) def. Cristina Alvarez (NIU), 6-3, 6-2
No. 3: Audrey Berger (BSU) def. Abigail Dekkinga (NIU), 6-1, 6-1
No. 4: Toni Ormond (BSU) def. Michelle Erasmus (NIU), 6-4, 6-3
No. 5: Isabelle Dohanics (BSU) def. Evelyn Youel (NIU), 6-2, 6-1
No. 6: Meghan Montgomerie (NIU) def. Julia Sbiercea (BSU), 6-7, 6-2, 10-7

Doubles
No. 1: Did not finish
No. 2: Blanco/Bethany Moore (BSU) def. Erasmus/Dekkinga (NIU), 6-2
No. 3: Gollhofer/Berger (BSU) def. Alvarez/Montgomerie (NIU), 6-3

--NIU--