PERRYSBURG, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University women's tennis team opened its Mid-American Conference dual match schedule with a 6-1 win over Bowling Green Sunday at the Perrysburg Tennis Center in Perrysburg, Ohio. The win marked NIU's first over Bowling Green since 2017 as the Falcons had won five straight matches in the series. 
 
The Huskies returned to match play after a two-week break and opened Sunday's match by claiming the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and 2 doubles.  After the Huskies lost, 6-2, at the No. 3 spot, Nataly Ninova and Erika Dimitriev teamed up to claim a 7-5 win over Ioanna Tsadari and Eloise Saraty at No. 1 doubles before Reagan Welch and Diana Lukyanova clinched the point for NIU with a 7-6 (7-4) win at No. 2.
 
"The team played really well today, fought really hard," said NIU head coach Eric Burns. "We were down 5-1 at No. 2 doubles, so it was a great fight back to win that match. That gave us a lot of positive momentum heading into singles and took a lot of pressure off. That could have been a match where we lose the doubles and it goes down to the wire."
 
In singles play, the Falcons got on the board first with a win at No. 1 singles before Angelica Ross gave NIU the lead for good with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the fifth singles spot. Lukyanova earned NIU's third point with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles. Ninova clinched the match, coming back after dropping a first set tiebreaker to win the next two sets, 6-1, 6-2 and give NIU the MAC win.
 
Righi and Welch added the Huskies' final two points with wins at No. 6 and 4 singles, respectively.  Welch split the first two sets of her match, with both sets going to tiebreakers, before winning the 10-point third
 
"Diana, Angelica and Natalie all played really well," Burns said. "Isa [Righi]'s win at six singles was a big one in straight sets over a player who was on a winning streak. That was a good win for her. Diana played lights out today. She was really solid in doubles and singles. She had control of her singles match from the beginning and that might be the best I've seen her play in doubles."
 
The Huskies (10-8, 1-0 MAC) return to action on Friday, March 24 at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House with two matches, beginning at 1 p.m. versus Toledo. NIU will then take on St. Francis at approximately 5 p.m. Friday.
 
NIU 6, Bowling Green 1
Perrysburg Tennis Center, Perrysburg, Ohio
 
Doubles
1. Nataly Ninova / Erika Dimitriev (NIU) def. Tsadari / Saraty (BGSU), 7-5
2. Reagan Welch / Diana Lukyanova (NIU) def. Furness / Neuman (BGSU), 7-6 (4)
3. Poppe / Fonseca (BGSU) def. Isabella Righi / McKenna Chudy (NIU), 6-2
 
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
 
Singles
1. Ioanna Tsadari (BGSU) def. Erika Dimitriev (NIU), 6-3, 6-2
2. Diana Lukyanova (NIU) def. Eloise Saraty (BGSU), 6-4, 6-4
3. Nataly Ninova (NIU) def. Lucy Furness (BGSU), 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-2
4. Reagan Welch (NIU) def. Hannah Neuman (BGSU), 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 10-6
5. Angelica Ross (NIU) def. Maru Poppe (BGSU), 6-4, 6-2
6. Isabella Righi (NIU) def. Leticia Fonseca (BGSU), 7-6 (4), 6-4
 
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 2, 3, 6, 4
 
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