THIBODAUX, La. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team was edged by Nicholls State, 4-3, on Wednesday afternoon (March 11) as the Huskies closed their spring break trip. With the setback, the Huskies fall to 6-6 on the season. 

"Another tough loss for us," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "I believe in our guys that we will get over this hump, with that being said I feel this tough schedule we've played this year will make us tougher. We're really close and we will get back out there Friday again."

NIU took the lead in the match as the Huskies won the doubles point. Sophomore Mikko Malinen (Malmo, Sweden) and junior Victor Spolidorio (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) scored a 6-3 win over Ricardo de Sales Chaves Machado and Omar Hussein at number one while senior Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) and sophomore David Pata (Bucharest, Romania/Emil Racovita) topped Antoine Martin-Thiriat and Prasanna Pravi Bagade at number two, 6-3. 

In singles, Spolidorio earned a convincing, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Bagade at number five and Muzar came from behind to defeat Piyush Surendra Salekar, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, at number one. The Colonels claimed the other four singles matches however as they slipped past the Huskies, 4-3. 

NIU will return to action on Friday, March 13, when the Huskies host IUPUI for a pair of matches in Rockford, Ill., at Boylan Tennis Center. 

Nicholls State 4, NIU 3

Singles
1. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Piyush Surendra Salekar (Nicholls), 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
2. Ricardo de Sales Chaves Machado (Nicholls) def. David Pata (NIU), 7-5, 7-5
3. Pavle Drobnjakovic (Nicholls) def. Mikko Malinen (NIU), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
4. Omar Hussein (Nicholls) def. Shao-Yu Yu (NIU), 6-3, 6-3
5. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Prasanna Pravi Bagade (Nicholls), 6-1, 6-1
6. Antoine Martin-Thiriat (Nicholls) def. Mikael Vollbach (NIU), 6-1, 6-3

Doubles
1. Mikko Malinen/Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Ricardo de Sales Chaves Machado/Omar Hussein (Nicholls), 6-3
2. David Pata/Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Antoine Martin-Thiriat/Prasanna Pravi Bagade (Nicholls), 6-3
3. Mikael Vollbach/Shao-Yu Yu (NIU) led Piyush Surendra Salekar/Pavle Drobnjakovic (Nicholls), 5-3 (unfinished)