KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team earned a 4-0 sweep over Binghamton on Friday morning in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Quarterfinals at West Hills Athletic Club. With the win, NIU improves to 12-11 on the season and advances to face Buffalo in the semifinals on Saturday. 

The Huskies, seeded third in the MAC Tournament, took the doubles point to take the early lead in the match. The reigning MAC Doubles Team of the Week of freshman Mikko Malinen (Malmo, Sweden) and sophomore Victor Spolidorio (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) won the first match to finish at number one, topping Kushaan Nath and Tiago Lourenco. 

NIU then clinched the point as senior Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and sophomore Kristopher Ortega (Homer Glen, Ill./Seton Home Study School) bettered Josh Druger and Inigo Saez at number three, 6-2, giving the Huskies a 1-0 advantage. 

Freshman David Pata (Bucharest, Romania/Emil Racovita) scored a victory in the first singles match to finish at number three, defeating Alejandro Pena 6-2, 7-6. At number five, Malinen outlasted Saez in the opening set, 7-6, before cruising to a 6-0 second set victory to but a third point on the board for the Huskies. 

Junior Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) finished the quarterfinal with a Huskie victory at number two, downing Lourenco, 6-1, 7-6. The Huskies led in each of the three singles matches that did not finish, with sophomore Victor Spolidorio (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) just two games away from winning at number six where he led Sebastian Quiros, 7-6, 4-0. 

Saturday's semifinal against second-seeded Buffalo is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. The Bulls won the only regular season meeting between the two school, 5-2, on April 7 in Buffalo. The first semifinal between regular season champion Western Michigan and the winner of Friday's second quarterfinal between Toledo and Ball State will begin at 9 a.m. CT. 

NIU 4, Binghamton 0

Singles 
1. Eric Marbach (NIU) vs. Kushaan Nath (BING) 6-1, 4-4, unfinished
2. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Tiago Lourenco (BING) 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)
3. David Pata (NIU) def. Alejandro Pena (BING) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) vs. Dylan Friedman (BING) 7-6 (7-4), 3-1, unfinished
5. Mikko Malinen (NIU) def. Inigo Saez (BING) 7-6 (7-3), 6-0
6. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) vs. Sebastian Quiros (BING) 7-6 (7-5), 4-0, unfinished

Doubles 
1. Mikko Malinen/Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Kushaan Nath/Tiago Lourenco (BING) 6-3
2. David Pata/Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) vs. Alejandro Pena/Dylan Friedman (BING) 4-5, unfinished
3. Eric Marbach/Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Josh Druger/Inigo Saez (BING) 6-2