ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team trailed Ball State, 3-1, before winning the final three singles matches to claim a 4-3 victory on Saturday afternoon at Boylan Tennis Center. With the victory, NIU improves to 13-6 overall, 3-1 in Mid-American Conference play. 

"What a game," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "We were getting beat the whole match, down 3-1 losing, and our guys showed so much resilience. We just kept fighting and just hung in there. I have to give credit to Ball State, they fought really hard and made it difficult for us. It does not get more exciting than it coming down to a third set tie breaker to win the game. Next week we have to play a talented Binghamton team."

Ball State took the doubles point to take an early 1-0 lead. Senior Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and freshman Kristopher Ortega (Homer Glen, Ill./Seton Home Study School) were victorious at number two, 6-4, over Marko Guzina and Conner Andersen, but the Cardinals clinched the point with a 7-6 win at number three. 

In the singles, Ortega cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 win at number one over Nemanja Guzina, but Ball State picked up victories at number two and six to bring the Carindals within a point of the win. 

Each of the remaining singles matches went the distance as senior Louis-Philippe Hamel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) claimed a 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 win over Thibault De Negri at number three. Senior Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun) was a 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 winner over Andersen at number four as the match came down to fifth singles. 

After taking the first set, 6-3, NIU sophomore Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) dropped the second set to Chris Adams, 5-7, before rallying for a 7-6 victory in the third to give the Huskies the match and the season sweep of the Cardinals. 

The Huskies will return to action on Sunday, April 8, when they travel to New York State to face Binghamton in a rematch of a March 16 encounter that the Huskies won, 6-1. 


NIU 4, Ball State 3

Singles 
1. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Nemanja Guzina (BSU) 6-0, 6-0
2. Marko Guzina (BSU) def. Eric Marbach (NIU) 7-5, 7-5
3. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Thibault De Negri (BSU) 7-6, 1-6, 6-3
4. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Conner Andersen (BSU) 6-7, 6-3, 6-4
5. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Chris Adams (BSU) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6
6. Bryce Bonin (BSU) def. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles
1. Nemanja Guzina/Collin Rigney (BSU) def. Georg Lundkvist/Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) 6-4
2. Eric Marbach/Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Marko Guzina/Conner Andersen (BSU) 6-4
3. Chris Adams/Tom Carney (BSU) def. Tom Hjertonsson/Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) 7-6