MUNCIE, Ind. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team dropped a tight 4-3 encounter at Ball State on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies fell to 12-8 overall, 1-2 in Mid-American Conference play. 

"It was a hard loss today, we dictated and took control of the game, unfortunately when it came to putting the hammer down we couldn't do it and let them hang around," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "Georg (Lundkvist) played awesome today, he has been a rock and really stepped up big again for us. Next week is big again and we will need it."

NIU won the double points for the third consecutive conference match. The Huskies took the match at number one, 6-2, as junior Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun) and senior Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley/University of Denver) topped Lucas Andersen and Andrew Stutz. At number three, senior Carlos Manzanas (Madrid, Spain/IES Principe Felipe) and freshman Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) also earned a 6-2 victory over Patrick Downs and Marko Guzina. 

In singles play, Lundkvist won his third consecutive match with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Stutz at number two. Junior Louis-Philippe Hamel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) also claimed a victory at number five, winning 6-3, 6-3 over Downs. Ball State won straight-sets victories at one, three and four as the match came down to the three-set contest at number six. 

Manzanas and Conner Andersen exchanged lopsided scores in the first two sets before Andersen edged out the final set, 7-5, to take the 4-3 victory. The win marked the fourth consecutive matchup between the Huskies and Cardinals to finish 4-3. 

NIU will conclude its four-match road swing to open conference play next Saturday, April 8, when the Huskies visit Toledo. 

Ball State 4, NIU 3

Singles 
1. Lucas Andersen (BSU) def. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) 6-4, 6-2
2. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Andrew Stutz (BSU) 6-3, 6-4
3. Marko Guzina (BSU) def. Eric Marbach (NIU) 7-5, 6-4
4. Nemanja Guzina (BSU) def. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) 6-3, 6-3
5. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Patrick Downs (BSU) 6-3, 6-3
6. Conner Andersen (BSU) def. Carlos Manzanas (NIU) 1-6, 6-2, 7-5

Doubles 
1. Georg Lundkvist/Eric Marbach (NIU) def. Lucas Andersen/Andrew Stutz (BSU) 6-2
2. Tom Carney/Conner Andersen (BSU) vs. Louis-Philippe Hamel/Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) 4-4, unfinished
3. Carlos Manzanas/Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Patrick Downs/Marko Guzina (BSU) 6-2