DES MOINES, Iowa – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team picked up its first victory on the season Sunday as the Huskies topped Tennessee Tech, 5-2, to even its record at 1-1 on the first weekend of the season. The Huskies took the doubles point and won four singles matches to earn the victory over the Golden Eagles.

"We beat a really good Tennessee Tech team today," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "While the score shows we won convincingly, it was not easy. My guys really made a commitment to keep pushing themselves mentally when it got tight, so I can't complain, we had positive energy, attitude and effort from start to finish.

NIU opened by taking the doubles point with a pair of tight wins at one and three. Senior Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and sophomore Kristopher Ortega (Home Glen, Ill./Seton Home Study School) earned their second win of the weekend with a 7-5 victory at number one over Marc Mila and Fanis Kontopoulos while freshman Mikko Malinen (Malmo, Sweden) and sophomore Victor Spolidorio (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) outlasted Gonzalo Garcia and Rafael Tosetto at number three, 7-6. 

Singles play featured more tight sets as NIU needed a tiebreak to win matches at two, four and six. The only Huskie singles win that didn't feature a tiebreak came at number three where PATA was victorious over Wenceslao Albin, 7-5, 6-3. 

At number two, Marbach earned a 7-6, 6-2 win over Kontopoulos, Spolidorio bettered Garcia at number five, 6-4, 7-6, and Malinen won a third set tiebreaker to defeat Carlos Vicente, 6-7, 6-1, 7-6. 

"The adjustments we need to make for next week are playing aggressive in tight moments and believing in ourselves to attack," said Fisher. "Next week is big, (we have) more great teams and challenges."

NIU is slated to play a trio of matches next weekend, beginning against Omaha on Friday, January 25, before facing Saint Louis in Omaha, Neb., on Saturday, January 26 and at Wisconsin on Sunday, January 27. 

NIU 5, Tennessee Tech 2

Singles
1. Rafael Tosetto (TTU) def. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) 6-4, 6-4 
2. Eric Marbach (NIU) def. Fanis Kontopoulos (TTU) 7-6, 6-2
3. David Pata (NIU) def. Wenceslao Albin (TTU) 7-5, 6-3
4. Elias Grubert (TTU) def. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Gonzalo Garcia (TTU) 6-4, 7-6
6. Mikko Malinen (NIU) def. Carlos Vicente (TTU) 6-7, 6-1, 7-6

Doubles
1. Eric Marbach/Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Marc Mila/Fanis Kontopoulos (TTU) 7-5
2. Wenceslao Albin/Riku Kobota (TTU) def. Bor Schweiger Muzar/David Pata (NIU) 6-3
3. Mikko Malinen/Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Gonzalo Garcia/Rafael Tosetto (TTU) 7-6