RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team won three singles flights and two doubles flights this weekend as it opened the season at the River Forest Collegiate Tennis Invitational at River Forest Tennis Club and Oak Park Tennis Center. 

Oliver Valentinsson (Malmo, Sweden), Mikael Vollbach (Röthis, Austria) and Armin Koschtojan (Halle, Germany) each won their respective singles flights while Vollbach and Koschtojan paired to win flight three doubles and Valentinsson teamed with Kristopher Ortega (Homer Glen, Ill.) to win flight two doubles.

"Overall, it was a great start, we won five of the nine flights and we have a lot to build on from this weekend," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "Armin (Koschtojan), Mikael (Vollbach) and Oliver (Valentinsson) were the big winners this weekend, winning both their singles and doubles flight. From what I saw, playing our first tournament it was pretty clear our guys put in a lot of work over the summer."

At number two singles, Valentinsson survived a first-round scare, defeating Gaurav Singh of Washington-St. Louis, 1-6, 6-1, 10-5. He then earned semifinal and final round wins in straight sets, taking down Ryota Fuskushima of Saint Louis, 6-4, 6-4 and UIC's Francesco Tacconi, 6-3, 6-1. 

Vollbach needed a 10-point third set in all three of his wins in flight four. After opening with a 6-2, 5-7, 10-4 victory over Adam Behun of Saint Louis, Vollbach then bettered Anthony Nguyen of UIC, 6-2, 1-6, 10-7 and Xavier's Cambell Nakayama, 6-3, 3-6, 10-8, to win the title. 

Koschtojan began play at number six singles with a 4-6, 6-0, 10-4 victory against Jonathan Sadowski of Saint Louis. He then advanced to the final with a 7-5, 6-4 victory against John Fakouri of Washington-St. Louis before topping Melker Isaksson of Illinois State, 6-2, 2-6, 10-8, in the final. 

In doubles, Ortega and Valentinsson opened with a 6-3 win over Nathan Favier and David Alvarez of Youngstown State. The Huskie duo then topped Pol Botifoll and Arvid Hjalte of Illinois State, 6-2, before winning the flight with a 6-2 defeat of Fuskushima and Theo Ortis from Saint Louis.

Vollbach and Koschtojan dropped just six games in winning the flight three doubles crown. The NIU pair opened with a 6-0 defeat of Eastern Illinois' Will Ulrich and Ruslan Pultz. The duo then reached the final with a 6-3 victory over Shashank Reddy and Marco Pennelli of Xavier. A 6-3 win against Pham and Dominick Cuchran of Illinois State gave Vollbach and Koschtojan the title in flight three. 

NIU will now look ahead to the Drake Invitational, Oct. 15-17, in Des Moines, Iowa. 

Number One Singles
Abhi Ramireddy (WashU) def. Kristopher Ortega (NIU), 5-7, 6-4, 10-9
Nam Pham (ISU) def. Kristopher Ortega (NIU), 6-2, 6-4
Christos Kyrillou (EIU) def. def. Kristopher Ortega (NIU), 6-3, 1-0 ret. 

Number Two Singles
Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) def. Gaurav Singh (WashU), 1-6, 6-1, 10-5
Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) def. Ryota Fuskushima (Saint Louis), 6-4, 6-4
Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) def. Francesco Tacconi (UIC), 6-3, 6-1

Number Three Singles
Jared Phillips (WashU) def. Mikko Malinen (NIU), 6-4, 6-2

Number Four Singles
Mikael Vollbach (NIU) def. Adam Behun (Saint Louis), 6-2, 5-7, 10-4
Mikael Vollbach (NIU) def. Anthony Nguyen (UIC), 6-2, 1-6, 10-7
Mikael Vollbach (NIU) def. Cambell Nakayama (Xavier), 6-3, 3-6, 10-8

Number Five Singles
Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Paval Badaiants (Saint Louis), 6-2, 6-4
Marco Pennelli (Xavier) def. Victor Spolidorio (NIU), 7-5, 1-6, 11-9
Victor Spolidorio (NIU) def. Kevin Kruzel (UIC), 6-1, 6-1

Number Six Singles
Armin Koschtojan (NIU) def. Jonathan Sadowski (Saint Louis), 4-6, 6-0, 10-4
Armin Koschtojan (NIU) def. John Fakouri (WashU), 7-5, 6-4
Armin Koschtojan (NIU) def. Melker Isaksson (ISU), 6-1, 2-6, 10-8

Number Seven Singles
Min-Chieh Chiu (ISU) def. Christopher Knutson (NIU), 6-4, 6-2
Artem Iermolov (UIC) def. Christopher Knutson (NIU), 6-4, 6-7, 11-9
Christopher Knutson (NIU) def. Kashal Maari (Saint Louis), 6-2, 6-2

Number One Doubles
Spolidorio/Malinen (NIU) def. Kyrillou/Wallace (EIU), 6-1
Alvarez/Behun (Saint Louis) def. Spolidorio/Malinen (NIU), 6-2
Spolidorio/Malinen (NIU) def. Le Gal Perez/Isaksson (ISU), 6-4

Number Two Doubles
Ortega/Valentinsson (NIU) def. Favier/Alvarez (YSU), 6-3
Ortega/Valentinsson (NIU) def. Botifoll/Hjalte (ISU), 6-2
Ortega/Valentinsson (NIU) def. Fukushima/Ortis (Saint Louis), 6-2

Number Three Doubles
Vollbach/Koschtojan (NIU) def. Ulrich/Pultz (EIU), 6-0
Vollbach/Koschtojan (NIU) def. Reddy/Pennelli (Xavier), 6-3
Vollbach/Koschtojan (NIU) def. Pham/Cuchran (ISU), 6-3

Number Four Doubles
Van Donslear/Knutson (NIU) def. Kohrs/Herrera (ISU), 6-5
Rasmusson/Chiu (ISU) def. Van Donslear/Knutson (NIU), 6-3
Thompson/Zipoli (Xavier) def. Van Donslear/Knutson (NIU), 6-3