DEKALB, Ill. – Just hours after appearing in the Oracle Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division I Men's Team Rankings for the first time this season, ranked 37th, the Northern Illinois University men's tennis team swept a doubleheader against Eastern Illinois on Wednesday (March 24) at Chick Evans Field House. 

The Huskies won the first match of the day, 6-1, before sweeping the nightcap, 7-0. With the pair of victories, NIU improved to 17-1 overall this season. 

"It was a good day for us," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "We were able to work on a lot of things today and we got better as the day went on. We are hopeful that we get another opportunity next week to play again."

NIU won all five doubles matches that finished during the day, dropping just 10 total games. Armin Koschtojan and Luke VanDonslear won at number three in both matches by identical 6-2 score lines. Three other pairs also picked up wins as Bor Schweiger Muzar and Mikael Vollbach as well as Mikko Malinen and Victor Spolidorio earned wins in the first match of the day. Kristopher Ortega and Oliver Valentinsson paired for a victory in the day's second contest.

In singles play, Muzar won a pair of matches at number one, both in straight sets. At number two singles, Malinen earned two wins, dropping just two total games in four sets as he defeated Leighton Brandon, 6-1, 6-1, and Christos Kyrillou, 6-0, 6-0. Koschtojan also earned two singles victories, winning 6-1, 6-1 at number five over Thomas Wallace in the first match and 6-3, 6-2 against Wallace in the second, playing at number four. 

Ortega and Spolidorio registered wins in the first matchup of the day, with Spolidorio coming from behind to outlast Charles Courteau, 4-6, 6-3, 10-4.

In the second match of the day, Valentinsson was a 6-3, 6-2 winner at number three against Pau Riera, Vollbach bettered Cameron Slabbert, 6-4, 6-2 at number five and VanDonslear was a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Rohan Srivastava at number six. 

NIU will be off this weekend and the Huskies will return to action on Friday, April 2, when they host 50th-ranked Western Michigan. 


Match 1: NIU 6, Eastern Illinois 1

Singles 
1. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Karan Srivastava (EIU) 7-5, 6-3
2. Mikko Malinen (NIU) def. Leighton Brandon (EIU) 6-1, 6-1
3. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Christos Kyrillou (EIU) 6-2, 6-0
4. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Charles Courteau (EIU) 4-6, 6-3, 10-4
5. Armin Koschtojan (NIU) def. Thomas Wallace (EIU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Cameron Slabbert (EIU) def. Luke VanDonslear (NIU) 6-2, 7-6

Doubles 
1. Bor Schweiger Muzar/Mikael Vollbach (NIU) def. Pau Riera/Karan Srivastava (EIU) 6-2
2. Mikko Malinen/Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Daniel Hernandez/Christos Kyrillou (EIU) 6-1
3. Armin Koschtojan/Luke VanDonslear (NIU) def. Leighton Brandon/Charles Courteau (EIU) 6-2


Match 2: NIU 7, Eastern Illinois 0

Singles 
1. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Leighton Brandon (EIU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Mikko Malinen (NIU) def. Christos Kyrillou (EIU) 6-0, 6-0
3. Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) def. Pau Riera (EIU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Armin Koschtojan (NIU) def. Thomas Wallace (EIU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Mikael Vollbach (NIU) def. Cameron Slabbert (EIU) 6-4, 6-2
6. Luke VanDonslear (NIU) def. Rohan Srivastava (EIU) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles 
1. Mikko Malinen/Victor Spolidorio (NIU) vs. Christos Kyrillou/Thomas Wallace (EIU) 4-4, unfinished
2. Kristopher Ortega/Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) def. Leighton Brandon/Charles Courteau (EIU) 6-3
3. Armin Koschtojan/Luke VanDonslear (NIU) def. Cameron Slabbert/Juan Carlos Garrido (EIU) 6-2