DeKALB, Ill. – Senior Christy Robinson earned a three-set win at No. 6 singles, giving the Northern Illinois University women's tennis team a 4-3 victory over Western Michigan in the season finale at the Nelson Tennis Center in Chick Evans Field House.
 
Robinson's 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-4 win completed the Huskies' comeback and gave NIU its third win in its last four matches. The Huskies finished the season 17-11 overall and 4-6 versus Mid-American Conference opponents with four wins in the last five matches.
 
"It was a remarkable effort to get this done today," said NIU head coach Eric Burns. "We pulled out some really tight three setters and with Christy clinching at the end, it couldn't have been a better ending for a senior to go out that way."
 
NIU's last win over Western Michigan was on April 14, 2017 as the Broncos were on a five-match winning streak versus the Huskies entering Sunday's match, including a 7-0 win in Kalamazoo two weeks ago.
 
"For us to beat a team that our seniors hadn't beaten in their four years, to go out 4-3, that's storybook stuff right there," Burns said. "I'm really proud of the effort today and how well everyone competed across the board. It was just a really good team effort all day."
 
The Huskies narrowly dropped the doubles point with the No. 2 team of Robinson and fellow senior Fernanda Naves losing in a tiebreaker after Erika Dimitriev and Anastasia Rakita earned the win at No. 1 for NIU. The Broncos took a 3-0 lead after Rakita had to retire after just one set in her match at No. 3 singles and Dimitriev fell to Lindsey Zieglar, 6-2, 6-3, in the No. 1 spot.
 
NIU's comeback began with Reagan Welch's win at No. 4 singles (7-5, 6-4), and No. 5 player Angelica Ross earned the Huskies' second point with a 7-5, 6-1 win, making the score 3-2 WMU.
 
At No. 2 singles, NIU's Diana Lukyanova and WMU's Ana Karen Guadiana were engaged in a marathon match that lasted 2:40. After the two players had split the first two sets by identical 6-3 scores, Lukyanova trailed 5-4 in the third before winning the next three games to earn a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win and tie the match 3-3.
 
That left it up to Robinson. The New Zealand native won the first set tiebreaker 7-2, before losing the second set to Maya Perkucin, 6-3. Similar to Lukyanova's match, Robinson trailed in the third set before winning three straight games for the win.
 
"I think this set us up with a lot of momentum heading into next season," Burns said. "Hopefully this late run with three straight wins to end the season creates a lot of confidence for the people coming back."
 
Following the match, the team held senior day ceremonies honoring senior Robinson, Naves, Iuliaa Dmitrieva and Paula Veyhle. The four combined for 100 singles and 80 doubles dual match wins over the last four years and were part of 42 wins over the last three seasons, marking one of the most successful stretches in school history.
 
"This group of seniors has been great to work with," Burns said. "For the three years I've been here they've worked hard, amd they've done what they're supposed to do on and off the court. They laid it all on the line for the Huskies and today, they got paid off for that. They got to see the fruits of their labor, so it's a really enjoyable day."
 
NIU 4, Western Michigan 3
April 24, 2022 at DeKalb, Ill.
(Chick Evans Field House)
 
Singles
1. Lindsey Zieglar (WMUW) def. Erika Dimitriev (NIU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Diana Lukyanova (NIU) def. Ana Karen Guadiana (WMUW) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
3. Femke Tjon A Joe (WMUW) def. Anastasia Rakita (NIU) 6-1, retired
4. Reagan Welch (NIU) def. Kiana Rizzolo (WMUW) 7-5, 6-4
5. Angelica Ross (NIU) def. Kaitlyn Rogosch (WMUW) 7-5, 6-1
6. Christy Robinson (NIU) def. Maya Perkucin (WMUW) 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-4
 
Doubles
1. Erika Dimitriev/Anastasia Rakita (NIU) def. Ana Karen Guadiana/Kaitlyn Rogosch (WMUW) 6-3
2. Lindsey Zieglar/Kristina Tiraspolsky (WMUW) def. Christy Robinson/Fernanda Naves (NIU) 7-6 (7-4)
3. Femke Tjon A Joe/Taylor Smith (WMUW) def. Iuliia Dmitrieva/Reagan Welch (NIU) 6-3
 
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