DES MOINES, Iowa – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team claimed the first five points of the day to top Marquette, 5-2, on Sunday (Jan. 22) at Drake's Roger Knapp Tennis Center. The win over the Golden Eagles is the first dual match victory of the season for the Huskies as they improve to 1-1 on the year. 

"This was a great weekend for us, I thought our guys did a great job bouncing back from yesterday and I knew they would," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "We should not have put ourselves in the situation we did dominating at, number one and three doubles to pull out what should not have been a tight point. In singles, these guys came out with a ton of energy and enthusiasm with something to prove and it showed, I'm really happy for the guys they deserve it."

After Mikael Vollbach and Cheng En Tsai were victorious at number one doubles, 6-2, NIU clinched the point at number three where Christopher Knutson and Christopher Norlin outlasted Will Tennison and Rami Scheetz, 7-6, in a tiebreak. 

In singles, Norlin dropped just three games at number six against Tennison, winning 6-0, 6-3, while En Tsai lost just two games in his 6-0, 6-2 victory at number one over Stefan Dragovic. 

NIU clinched the overall win as Iker Gaztambide Arrastia topped Blake Roegner, 6-4, 6-3, at number four. Vollbach then finished his straight sets win at number three, 7-6, 7-3, against Scheetz for a fifth point for the Huskies. 

Marquette won the final two matches to finish in 10-point third sets. 

The Huskies will return home next weekend as the Huskies host Chicago State on Friday, Jan. 27, and Cardinal Stritch on Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House. 

NIU 5, Marquette 2

Singles 
1. Cheng En Tsai (NIU) def. Stefan Dragovic (Marquette) 6-0, 6-2
2. Tin Krstulovic (Marquette) def. Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) 6-3, 3-6, 10-5
3. Mikael Vollbach (NIU) def. Rami Scheetz (Marquette) 7-6, 6-3
4. Iker Gaztambide Arrastia (NIU) def. Blake Roegner (Marquette) 6-4, 6-3
5. Ian Brady (Marquette) def. Armin Koschtojan (NIU) 7-6, 3-6, 10-5
6. Christopher Norlin (NIU) def. Will Tennison (Marquette) 6-0, 6-3

Doubles 
1. Mikael Vollbach/Cheng En Tsai (NIU) def. Ian Brady/Stefan Dragovic (Marquette) 6-2
2. Blake Roegner/Tin Krstulovic (Marquette) def. Armin Koschtojan/Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) 6-0
3. Christopher Knutson/Christopher Norlin (NIU) def. Will Tennison/Rami Scheetz (Marquette) 7-6