LOUISVILLE, Ky. –  The Northern Illinois University women's tennis team opened its 2023 dual match season on Friday by dropping a pair of matches by 4-3 scores to Louisville and Bellarmine Friday in Louisville, Kentucky.
 
In the morning match versus Louisville, the Huskies' No. 1 doubles team of Anastasia Rakita and Erika Dimitriev pulled out a 7-6 (7-4) win, although the Cardinals captured the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.
 
In addition to the three-set wins by freshmen Nataly Miroslavova Ninova (6-2, 2-6, 6-2) and Isabella Righi (4-6, 6-2, 6-0) at No. 5 and 6 singles, respectively, Dimitriev came back to win a tight match against Louisville's Rhea Verma in the super tiebreaker at No. 2 singles [4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-7].
 
"The first match of the day was really positive for us," said head coach Eric Burns. "We played really hard, we fought. Great win for Erika against a good opponent [at No. 2 singles]. Nataly and Isabella got off to a good start. They played loose and played aggressive."
 
In the day's second match, it was NIU's No. 2 doubles team of Miroslavova Ninova and Reagan Welch who earned a 6-4 win with Bellarmine taking the point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles.
 
Versus the Knights, the Huskies' Diana Lukyanova joined Miroslavova Ninova and Righi in the win column with a 2-6, 7-6 (7), 10-7 victory over Bellarmine's Vendula Kryslova.  Righi was especially dominant in dispatching Channing Varnum of BU, 6-2, 6-0 as both freshmen went 2-0 in singles on the day.
 
"In the second match we didn't get off to a good start in doubles," Burns said. "Bellarmine's top three players are really good and are tough matchups. They played well at those spots with Diana getting a tough win at No. 3; then their No. 4 stepped up. They just outplayed us; Bellarmine deserved the win." 
 
Despite the losses, Burns found the positives to take out of Friday's opening day of the dual match season.
 
"The positives are we did fight extremely hard today," he said. "We did play well in doubles. We had a long tough day to battle through with back-to-back matches. We have to keep building our strength and endurance."
 
The Huskies (0-2) head to Lexington, Kentucky for a Sunday match versus the Wildcats. Action gets underway at 1 p.m. (CT)  
 
2023 Women's Tennis Match Results
Louisville 4, NIU Huskies 3
1/20/2023 at Louisville, Ky.
(Bass-Rudd Tennis Center)

Singles
1. Andrea DiPalma (LOU) def. Anastasia Rakita (NIU) 6-3, 6-3
2. Erika Dimitriev (NIU) def. Rhea Verma (LOU) 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-7
3. Jamilah Snells (LOU) def. Diana Lukyanova (NIU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Maria Campos (LOU) def. Reagan Welch (NIU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
5. Nataly Miroslavova Ninova (NIU) def. Tyra Richardson (LOU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
6. Isabella Righi (NIU) def. Sasha Gorchanyuk (LOU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0

Doubles
1. Anastasia Rakita/Erika Dimitriev (NIU) def. Jamilah Snells/Cici Xin (LOU) 7-6 (7-4)
2. Rhea Verma/Sasha Gorchanyuk (LOU) def. Nataly Miroslavova Ninova/Reagan Welch (NIU) 6-3
3. Andrea DiPalma/Maria Campos (LOU) def. Jenna Horne/Isabella Righi (NIU) 6-3

Match Notes:
NIU Huskies 0-1
Louisville 1-0
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,1,5,4,6,2)
 

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2023 Women's Tennis Match Results
Bellarmine 4, NIU Huskies 3
1/20/2023 at Louisville, Ky.
(Bass-Rudd Tennis Center)

Singles
1. Ekaterina Tikhonko (BU) def. Anastasia Rakita (NIU) 7-5, 6-3
2. Lailaa Bashir (BU) def. Erika Dimitriev (NIU) 6-1, 6-4
3. Diana Lukyanova (NIU) def. Vendula Kryslova (BU) def. 2-6, 7-6 (7), 10-7
4. Hanley Riner (BU) def. Reagan Welch (NIU) 6-3, 6-3
5. Nataly Miroslavova Ninova (NIU) def. Shu Grosso (BU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-0
6. Isabella Righi (NIU) def. Channing Varnum (BU) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles
1. Ekaterina Tikhonko/Lailaa Bashir (BU) def. Anastasia Rakita/Erika Dimitriev (NIU) 6-4
2. Nataly Miroslavova Ninova/Reagan Welch (NIU) def. Hanley Riner/Shu Grosso (BU) 6-4
3. Vendula Kryslova/Channing Varnum (BU) def. Jenna Horne/Isabella Righi (NIU) 7-5

-- NIU --