Women's Tennis | April 2

KALAMAZOO, Mich.  – Playing its second of three consecutive road Mid-American Conference matches, the Northern Illinois University women's tennis team dropped a 6-1 decision to Western Michigan Sunday afternoon.
 
Three of the six singles matches went to three sets on the day, but only junior Diana Lukyanova was able to come away with a win for the Huskies. She defeated WMU's Karin Hamilton, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 to earn her 13th singles win of the season.
 
With the loss, the Huskies fall to 11-12 on the season, 1-4 in the MAC, while WMU improved to 11-6 overall, 2-3 in MAC matches.
 
The singles matches at the third and sixth singles positions also went to three sets. After dropping the first set at No. 3 singles by a 6-4 score, WMU's Valeriya Monko came back to take the next two sets over NIU's Nataly Ninova, 6-1, 6-4. The Huskies' Angelica Ross won a first set tiebreaker over the Broncos' Audrey Smitek, but Smitek won the second set and then the 10-point super tiebreaker, 10-5, to get the win.
 
WMU opened the match by winning the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and 3 doubles.
 
The Huskies continue the MAC road swing next Friday, April 7, at Eastern Michigan before returning home to take on the Eagles on Friday, April 14.

Western Michigan 6, NIU Huskies 1
04/02/2023 at Kalamazoo, Mich.
(West Hills Athletic Club)

Singles 
1. Lindsey Zieglar (WMU) def. Erika Dimitriev (NIU) 6-2, 6-2
2. Diana Lukyanova (NIU) def. Karin Hamilton (WMU) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
3. Valeriya Monko (WMU) def. Nataly Ninova (NIU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
4. Maya Perkucin (WMU) def. Reagan Welch (NIU) 7-5, 6-4
5. Ariane Souligny (WMU) def. Isabella Righi (NIU) 6-1, 6-3
6. Audrey Smitek (WMU) def. Angelica Ross (NIU) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 1-0 (5-10)

Doubles 
1. Lindsey Zieglar/Valeriya Monko (WMU) def. Erika Dimitriev/Nataly Ninova (NIU) 6-0
2. Kaitlyn Rogosch/Ariane Souligny (WMU) vs. Reagan Welch/Diana Lukyanova (NIU) 4-5, unfinished
3. Karin Hamilton/Audrey Smitek (WMU) def. Isabella Righi/McKenna Chudy (NIU) 6-4
 
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