DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team rallied to win three singles matches in three sets as the Huskies outlasted Ball State, 5-2, on Sunday afternoon (April 18) to win their 21st match of the season. 

NIU's 21 victories is tied for the most by the Huskies during head coach Patrick Fisher's 12 years at NIU, the last time the Huskies won more than 21 matches in a season came during the 1988-89 campaign. 

"We were focused today," said Fisher. "Ball State fights, they always fight hard no matter what the circumstances are, they never quit. It wasn't easy today and I was proud of our guys, we really dug in, we fought hard. We won the doubles, we won the singles and all of our goals are still intact." 

The Huskies took the first point of the day with victories at number two and three doubles. At number three, Kristopher Ortega and Oliver Valentinsson scored their 17th win as a pairing, topping Eli Herran and Bryce Bonin, 6-2. NIU clinched the point when Mikko Malinen and Victor Spolidorio finished off a 6-3 victory against Thibault De Negri and Parrish Simmons at number two. 

Ball State took the first set in four singles matches to grab some momentum and the Cardinal put the first singles point on the board with a win at number three. 

Ortega answered with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Danilo Kovacevic at number two for his 15th win of the year as the Huskies went back in front. 

The Cardinals then evened the overall match with a win at number five as the final three matches to finish would all go the distance. 

At number one, Bor Schweiger Muzar came back from dropping the second set to top De Negri, 7-5, 1-6, 6-1, picking up his 14th singles win while bringing NIU within a match of the overall win. 

NIU gained that fourth point when Spolidorio rallied to drop just four games over the final two sets in a 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 triumph against Simmons. The win was Spolidorio's 13th this season. The Huskies finished a sweep of the three-set matches when Valentinsson also completed a comeback, downing Sajin Smith, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 for his team-leading 19th win of the year. 

NIU will travel to Kalamazoo, Mich., on Saturday, April 24 to meet Western Michigan at 2 p.m. in a matchup of the top-two teams in the MAC. 

"This is our MAC Championship," Fisher said of next week's match. "We knew this was going to happen, we expected to be in this situation. It has been a great run this year, we have accomplished a lot of our goals, but we still have one outstanding goal, and we get a chance to see if we can pull it off next week against Western Michigan."


NIU 5, Ball State 2

Singles 
1. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Thibault De Negri (BSU) 7-5, 1-6, 6-1
2. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Danilo Kovacevic (BSU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Chris Adams (BSU) def. Mikko Malinen (NIU) 6-3, 6-1
4. Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) def. Sajin Smith (BSU) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
5. Eli Herran (BSU) def. Mikael Vollbach (NIU) 7-5, 6-4
6. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Parrish Simmons (BSU) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1

Doubles 
1. Mikael Vollbach/Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) vs. Danilo Kovacevic/Chris Adams (BSU) 3-4, unfinished
2. Mikko Malinen/Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Thibault De Negri/Parrish Simmons (BSU) 6-3
3. Kristopher Ortega/Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) def. Eli Herran/Bryce Bonin (BSU) 6-2