DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team dropped just one point as it picked up a pair of victories at Chick Evans Field House on Thursday. The Huskies topped Wisconsin-Whitewater, 6-1, in the morning before sweeping Cardinal Stritch, 7-0, during the afternoon. 

"I thought we played great from start-to-finish," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "We got better as the day went on. Cardinal Stritch has a good, strong team, they have some good players at the top and our guys played great. We jumped on top, stayed on top and finished strong."

NIU (3-1) dropped just seven games en route to sweeping all three doubles matches against the Warhawks of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Senior Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and freshman Kristopher Ortega (Homer Glen, Ill./Seton Home Study School) claimed a 6-4 win at number one, senior Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun) and sophomore Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) earned a 6-2 victory at number two while junior Erich Schuette (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) and freshman Victor Spolidorio (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) scored a 6-1 win at number three. 

In singles action, Lundkvist didn't drop a game in his 6-0, 6-0 win over Brandon Dechter at number four. Ortega dropped just two games in a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Jimmy Engelhart. At number one, Marbach led 6-0, 4-0 when Grant Thompson retired. Spolidorio claimed a fourth straight-sets victory for the Huskies with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Zach Wood. 

The final Huskie victory came at number two where Muzar dropped the first set but earned a 6-7, 6-2, 10-5 comeback victory over Zane Navratil.

In the second match of the day against Cardinal Stritch, NIU once again swept the three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead. Marbach and Ortega won their second match of the day with a 6-3 victory at number one. Lundkvist and Muzar also won for the second time by an identical 6-3 scoreline. 

Seniors Louis-Philippe Hamel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) and Tom Hjertonsson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium) were 6-2 winners at number three. 

NIU earned five of the six singles wins in straight-sets against Cardinal Stritch. Muzar dropped just three games at number two, defeating Fabio Perasso, 6-1, 6-2. Marbach was a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Agustin Gascia at number one, Ortega was victorious over Nicola Wehrle, 6-3, 7-6, at number three, Hamel won at number four, 6-2, 6-3, over Javier Apellaniz and Spolidorio claimed a 6-3, 6-4 win over Simon Alig at number six. 

In the only match to go three sets, Hjertonsson topped Niccolo Rossi, 6-3, 1-6, 10-6, to complete the sweep for the Huskies. 

NIU will return to action with another doubleheader on Friday, Jan. 26. The Huskies will host Saint Louis and Omaha at Boylan Tennis Center in Rockford, play begins on Friday at noon. 

NIU 6, Wisconsin-Whitewater 1

Singles
1. Eric Marbach (NIU) def. Grant Thompson (UWW), 6-0, 4-0 ret.
2. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Zane Navratil (UWW), 6-7, 6-2, 10-5
3. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Jimmy Engelhart (UWW), 6-1, 6-1
4. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Brandon Dechter (UWW), 6-0, 6-0
5. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Zach Wood (UWW), 6-4, 6-1
6. Lucas Monterroso (UWW) def. Erich Schuette (NIU), 2-6, 7-5, 10-8

Doubles
1. Eric Marbach/Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Jimmy Engelhart/Zane Navratil (UWW), 6-4
2. Georg Lundkvist/Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Matt Zurowski/Brandon Dechter (UWW), 6-2
3. Erich Schuette/Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Grant Thompson/Zach Wood (UWW), 6-1

NIU 7, Cardinal Stritch 0

Singles
1. Eric Marbach (NIU) def. Agustin Gascia (CS), 6-4, 6-1
2. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Fabio Perasso (CS), 6-1, 6-2
3. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Nicola Wehrle (CS), 6-3, 7-6
4. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Javier Apellaniz (CS), 6-2, 6-3
5. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Niccolo Rossi (CS), 6-3, 1-6, 10-6
6. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Simon Alig (CS), 6-3, 6-4

Doubles
1. Eric Marbach/Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Fabio Perasso/Nicolas Palacio (CS), 6-3
2. Georg Lundkvist/Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Niccolo Rossi/Agustin Gascia (CS), 6-3
3. Louis-Philippe Hamel/Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Nicola Wehrle/Javier Apellaniz (CS), 6-2