ROCKFORD, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team rebounding from losing the doubles point to earn a 5-2 victory over Ball State on Sunday afternoon at Boylan Tennis Center. With the win, the Huskies improve to 12-5 overall, 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play.

"It wasn't the start I envisioned, Ball State was more aggressive and we served poorly which put us down 0-1 after doubles," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "Singles was a different story, our guys came out and fought for every single point. We played with tremendous energy all the way to the end which gave us five singles points and the match. We cannot allow ourselves to come out slow in doubles like we did today, but overall I'm happy to be in the position we're in."

Senior Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and freshman Kristopher Ortega (Homer Glen, Ill./Seton Home Study School) scored a 6-3 victory over Marko Guzina and Conner Andersen at number two but Ball State earned wins at one and three to give the Cardinals the doubles point and a 1-0 lead.

In singles, NIU swept the top-four matches to clinch the victory. Senior Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun) and senior Louis-Philippe Hamel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) recorded identical 6-4, 6-2 wins. Lundkvist topped Thibault De Negri at number three while Hamel downed Conner Andersen at number four. Ortega won by nearly the same score as Lundkvist and Hamel as he recorded a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Nemanja Guzina at number one.

At number two, Marbach outlasted Marko Guzina in the opening set, 7-5, before taking the second set, 6-3, to help the Huskies seal the win over the Cardinals.

With the result of the overall match already decided, sophomore Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) finished off a 4-6, 7-6, 10-4 come-from-behind win over Chris Adams at number five.

NIU will go on the road next Friday, March 23, when they travel to Kalamazoo, Mich., to face Western Michigan.

NIU 5, Ball State 2

Singles
1. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Nemanja Guzina (Ball State) 6-4, 6-3
2. Eric Marbach (NIU) def. Marko Guzina (Ball State) 7-5, 6-3
3. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Thibault De Negri (Ball State) 6-4, 6-2
4. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Conner Andersen (Ball State) 6-4, 6-2
5. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Chris Adams (Ball State) 4-6, 7-6, 10-4
6. Bryce Bonin (Ball State) def. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) 5-7, 6-4, 10-4

Doubles
1. Nemanja Guzina/Collin Rigney (Ball State) def. Bor Schweiger Muzar/Georg Lundkvist (NIU) 6-4
2. Eric Marbach/Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Marko Guzina/Conner Andersen (Ball State) 6-3
3. Tom Carney/Chris Adams (Ball State) def. Louis-Philippe Hamel/Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) 6-4