DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team will take its nine-match winning streak on the road for a trio of matches this weekend as the Huskies make a swing south through the State of Illinois. NIU will open the weekend by facing the University of Illinois on Friday, Feb. 24, in Champaign, before traveling to Southern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 25, and Illinois State on Sunday, Feb. 26.
NIU enters the weekend with a 9-2 overall record after sweeping Wright State and South Dakota State, 7-0, last weekend. Junior
Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun) and senior
Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley/University of Denver) were named the Mid-American Conference Doubles Team of the Week after improving to 7-3 this spring with their two wins against the Raiders and Jackrabbits.
In singles, junior
Tom Hjertonsson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium) and freshman
Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) each have eight wins to pace the Huskies. All eight of Hjertonsson's wins have come at number four while five of Muzar's eight victories have been at number one.
The Fighting Illini represent the stiffest test of the season thus far for the Huskies as Illinois brings a 5-3 record into Friday's match and is currently ranked 19th in the Oracle/ITA Division I Rankings. Illinois' Aleks Vukic is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, he is currently ranked 29th in the country while his teammate, Aron Hiltzik, is ranked 23rd. Last season, Illinois posted a 20-11 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Southern Illinois brings a 4-1 record into play this weekend and will face Eastern Illinois on Friday before hosting the Huskies on Saturday. The Salukis have won four consecutive matches after dropping their dual match opener at Tennessee on Jan. 14. Southern Illinois recorded a 14-5 mark a season ago, which included a narrow 4-3 win over NIU.
Illinois State comes into the weekend with a 4-7 overall record; the Redbirds will host a pair of MAC foes this weekend as they welcome Western Michigan to Normal on Saturday before hosting the Huskies on Sunday. Illinois State is coming off of a pair of losses last weekend against Detroit (Feb. 18) and Toledo (Feb. 19).
The Huskies will return to the road again next weekend when they travel to Indianapolis, Ind., for a pair of matches. NIU will face Butler on Friday, March 3, before meeting IUPUI on Saturday, March 4.
