ROCKFORD, Ill. – In a matchup between the only two unbeatens in the Mid-American Conference, the 44th-ranked Northern Illinois University men's tennis team fell, 6-1, to No. 50 Western Michigan on Friday afternoon (April 2) at Boylan Tennis Center. 

Western Michigan improved to 16-1 overall, 5-0 in the conference with the win while NIU dropped to 17-2 overall, 4-1 in league play. 

"Doubles set the tone," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "We had three match points and couldn't get it done, it took a lot out of us, and credit to WMU, they played their best match. We will get another chance (when the teams meet again on April 23)."

The two teams split the doubles matches at one and two, with the Huskies taking a 6-3 victory at number two as Victor Spolidorio and Mikko Malinen topped Fynn Lohse and Arjun Honnappa, 6-3. The point came down to the match at number three that went to a tiebreak as Western Michigan's Peter Kuszynski and Joaquin Caballer outlasted Oliver Valentinsson and Kristopher Ortega, 7-6. 

In singles, Mikael Vollbach maintained his unbeaten record, improving to 16-0 this season with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Brogan Pierce. 

Western Michigan would win each of the other five matches however, including at number five where Honnappa won a pair of tiebreaks to top Spolidorio, 7-6, 7-6, and at number three where Lohse came from behind to win in three, 5-7, 6-2, 10-6, over Ortega.

NIU will return to action next weekend as the Huskies travel to the Empire State for a pair of matches, visiting Binghamton on Friday, April 9, before taking on Buffalo on Sunday, April 11. 

Western Michigan 6, NIU 1

Singles
1. Jannik Opitz (WMU) def. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) 7-5, 6-2
2. Peter Kuszynski (WMU) def. Mikko Malinen (NIU) 6-1, 6-2
3. Fynn Lohse (WMU) def. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) 5-7, 6-2, 10-6
4. Jackson Boone (WMU) def. Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) 6-1, 6-4
5. Arjun Honnappa (WMU) def. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) 7-6, 7-6
6. Mikael Vollbach (NIU) def. Brogan Pierce (WMU) 6-1, 6-3

Doubles 
1. Zac Faveri/Jannik Opitz (WMU) def. Bor Schweiger Muzar/Mikael Vollbach (NIU) 6-4
2. Victor Spolidorio/Mikko Malinen (NIU) def. Fynn Lohse/Arjun Honnappa (WMU) 6-3
3. Peter Kuszynski/Joaquin Caballer (WMU) def. Oliver Valentinsson/Kristopher Ortega (NIU) 7-6