OMAHA, Neb. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team fell to Omaha, 5-2, on the second of its two-match road trip to the State of Nebraska on Saturday (Feb. 11). The Huskies won the doubles point but the Mavericks took five of the six singles matches to take the overall victory. 

"Another crazy game that gave us so many chances and we let slip out of our hands again," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "Hopefully our young kids can learn from these experiences and make us better down the line. We really fought and it's hard not to get the results we have worked so hard for, but we will get back up and we will come through if we stick to our plan."

Mikael Vollbach and Cheng En Tsai won their second match in as many days as they topped Davis Lawley and Hugo Piles, 6-4, at number one. Christopher Knutson and Armin Koschtojan then topped Ryoma Mishiro and Ethan Gaubert, 6-4, at number three to give the Huskies the first point of the day. 

Omaha won the singles matches at one and four to take a 2-1 lead before Vollbach won his second singles match of the weekend, 6-1, 7-5, at number three against Gaubert. 

Each of the final three matches went three sets with the Mavericks winning all three. Oliver Valentinsson took set one at number two before Lawley came from behind to win the second two sets. At five and six, Omaha won the first set with Iker Gaztambide Arrastia and Christopher Norlin both pulling level, but the Mavericks outlasted NIU in both matches to clinch the overall victory. 

NIU will return to action next weekend when the Huskies host a pair of matches at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House. NIU will entertain Youngstown State on Friday, Feb. 17, before hosting North Dakota on Sunday, Feb. 19. 

Omaha 5, NIU 2

Singles 
1. Mikhail Korkunov (OMAHA) def. Cheng En Tsai (NIU) 7-5, 7-5
2. Davis Lawley (OMAHA) def. Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
3. Mikael Vollbach (NIU) def. Ethan Gaubert (OMAHA) 6-1, 7-5
4. Ryoma Mishiro (OMAHA) def. Armin Koschtojan (NIU) 6-2, 6-1
5. Hugo Piles (OMAHA) def. Iker Gaztambide Arrastia (NIU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
6. Quintan Van Wijk (OMAHA) def. Christopher Norlin (NIU) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6

Doubles 
1. Mikael Vollbach/Cheng En Tsai (NIU) def. Davis Lawley/Hugo Piles (OMAHA) 6-4
2. Christopher Knutson/Armin Koschtojan (NIU) def. Ryoma Mishiro/Ethan Gaubert (OMAHA) 6-4
3. Alvaro Quintana/Quintan Van Wijk (OMAHA) def. Christopher Norlin/Oliver Valentinsson (NIU) 6-3