MUNCIE, Ind. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team earned a 5-2 win over Ball State on Sunday afternoon to claim a season split with the Cardinals. NIU won the doubles points and took four of the six singles matches as the Huskies improved to 10-10 on the season. 

"Today we fought back and never let up," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "There were some moments in the game where earlier in the season we would stop attacking and it cost us. Today we attacked from start to finish and we dominated."

NIU took the early lead in the match as the Huskies claimed the doubles point. Freshman David Pata (Bucharest, Romania/Emil Racovita) and junior Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) were 7-5 winners at number two and seniors Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and Erich Schuette (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) also picked up a 7-5 win to clinch the point. 

In singles, sophomore Victor Spolidorio (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) was the first to put a point on the board as he defeated Tom Carney, 6-4, 6-4, at number six. Junior Shao-Yu Yu (Taipei, Taiwan/Jiang Guo High School) then brought the Huskies within a point of the match victory when he finished off a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 win against Conner Andersen at number five. 

Ball State earned its first point when Thibault De Negri earned a victory at number three, but freshman Mikko Malinen (Malmo, Sweden) scored a 6-1, 7-6 win over Chris Adams at number four to clinch the win for the Huskies. 

Pata added a fifth point for NIU with a come-from-behind, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5, victory over Nemanja Guzina at number two.  

The Huskies will be back in action on Sunday, April 7, when they travel to Buffalo to meet the Bulls. 

NIU 5, Ball State 2

Singles 
1. Marko Guzina (BSU) def. Eric Marbach (NIU) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
2. David Pata (NIU) def. Nemanja Guzina (BSU) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 7-5
3. Thibault De Negri (BSU) def. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
4. Mikko Malinen (NIU) def. Chris Adams (BSU) 6-1, 7-6 (11-9)
5. Shao-Yu Yu (NIU) def. Conner Andersen (BSU) 3-6, 6-0, 6-2
6. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Tom Carney (BSU) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles 
1. Marko Guzina/Nemanja Guzina (BSU) led Mikko Malinen/Victor Spolidorio (NIU) 6-5
2. David Pata/Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Tom Carney/Thibault De Negri (BSU) 7-5
3. Eric Marbach/Erich Schuette (NIU) def. Conner Andersen/Chris Adams (BSU) 7-5