Women's Tennis | April 21

HAMILTON, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University women's tennis team was blanked by the Miami RedHawks, 7-0, Friday afternoon at the Riverside Athletic Club in Hamilton, Ohio in the team's final road match of the 2023 spring dual season.
 
With the loss, NIU fell to 12-15 on the season, 2-7 versus Mid-American Conference opponents, while Miami improved to 11-12, 5-4 in the MAC. 
 
NIU No. 1 singles player Erika Dimitriev was the only Huskie to win a set Friday as she won a second-set tiebreaker, 7-4, over Miami's Laura Rico to even her match at one set apiece. With the outcome of the team match already decided, the two played a 10-point super tiebreaker which Rico took, 10-6, to secure the win.
 
Dimitriev and her doubles partner, Nataly Ninova, were tied 4-4 in their doubles match before Miami earned the wins at No. 2 and No. 3 to secure the doubles point.
 
Aside from Dimitriev, freshman Jenna Horne, playing at No. 6 singles for just the second time in MAC matches, was in both sets of her match against Miami's Mayu Ushio before losing, 7-5, 6-4.
 
NIU returns home to close out the 2023 season on Sunday versus Western Michigan. The match begins at 11 a.m. at the Nelson Tennis Center inside Chick Evans Field House.
 
Miami (Ohio) 7, NIU 0
04/21/2023 at Hamilton, Ohio
(Riverside Athletic Club)
 
Singles
1. Laura Rico (MIAMI) def. Erika Dimitriev (NIU) 6-4, 6-7, 1-0
2. Catherine Denysiewicz-Slowek (MIAMI) def. Diana Lukyanova (NIU) 6-2, 6-2
3. Emilia Valentinsson (MIAMI) def. Nataly Ninova (NIU) 6-2, 7-5
4. Nishitha Saravanan (MIAMI) def. Reagan Welch (NIU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Sara Zalukar (MIAMI) def. Isabella Righi (NIU) 6-3, 6-2
6. Mayu Ushio (MIAMI) def. Jenna Horne (NIU) 7-5, 6-4
 
Doubles
1. Denysiewicz-Slowek/Rico (MIAMI) vs. Dimitriev/Ninova (NIU) 4-4, unfinished
2. Valentinsson/Zalukar (MIAMI) def. Lukyanova/Welch (NIU) 6-1
3. Saravanan/Ushio (MIAMI) def. Horne/Righi (NIU) 6-2
 
-- NIU --
 
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