KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team dropped a 4-1 decision to No. 1 seed Buffalo on Friday afternoon in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals, held on the Sorensen Courts at Western Michigan. 

Buffalo (12-5, 7-0 MAC) claimed the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead as the Bulls earned victories at number one and two. Hao Sheng Koey and Filip Grbic were 6-2 winners at number one while Petr Vodak and Villhelm Fridell won by a 6-3 score at number two to give the point to the Bulls.

NIU and Buffalo split the first two singles matches to finish. The Huskies scored a victory at number two as freshman Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) was victorious, 6-2, 6-2 over Vidit Vaghela. Buffalo responded by taking the point at number one as Koey was a 6-3, 6-2 winner over junior Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun).

The Huskies and Bulls split the opening set in each of the other four singles matches. In the first three-set match to finish, Fridell outlasted junior Tom Hjertonsson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium), 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. At number six, Ethan Nittolo clinched the victory for Buffalo with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 comeback victory over senior Carlos Manzanas (Madrid, Spain/IES Principe Felipe). 

At number three, senior Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley/University of Denver) was just a game away from victory when the matches were halted, as he led Grbic, 3-6, 6-2, 5-2. Junior Louis-Philippe Hamel's (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) match against Vodak at number five was also stopped in the third set. 

Buffalo advances to face Western Michigan in Saturday's championship round. NIU's season comes to a close with a 13-12 overall record, its sixth consecutive winning season. 

Buffalo 4, NIU 1

Doubles
1. Hao Sheng Koey/Filip Grbic (UB) def. Eric Marbach/Georg Lundkvist (NIU) 6-2
2. Petr Vodak/Villhelm Fridell (UB) def. Louis Hamel/Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) 6-3
3. Tony Miller/Ethan Nittolo (UB) vs. Carlos Manzanas/Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) 3-5, unfinished

Singles
1. Hao Sheng Koey (UB) def. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Vidit Vaghela (UB) 6-2, 6-1
3. Filip Grbic (UB) vs. Eric Marbach (NIU) 6-3, 2-6, 2-5, unfinished
4. Villhelm Fridell (UB) def. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-0
5. Petr Vodak (UB) vs. Louis Hamel (NIU) 6-1, 4-6, 3-0, unfinished
6. Ethan Nittolo (UB) def. Carlos Manzanas (NIU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1