CHICAGO – The Northern Illinois University women's tennis team wrapped up a three-road meet weekend at DePaul Sunday morning, dropping a 4-0 decision to the Blue Demons at the XS Tennis Village in Chicago.
 
DePaul took the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles to open the match.  The Huskies' Diana Lukyanova and Isabella Righi were tied 5-5 with Emily Casati/Yuliya Kizelbasheva of DePaul at No. 2 doubles when that match was called.
 
NIU ended the weekend, which included a 6-1 win at Northern Iowa and a 5-2 loss to Iowa on Friday, 3-4 on the season.  DePaul improved to 4-4.
 
"We hung in there," said head coach Eric Burns. "We just got off to slow starts in some matches. Even in doubles there at No. 3, we were down 5-1 and battled back to 5-4 before losing and then were tied 5-5 at No. 2. We were right there the whole way and had our chances."
 
The coaches determined prior to the competition that matches would be discontinued once a team reached the required four points.
 
The Blue Demons scored straight set wins at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6 singles to reach four points, although NIU players had momentum in the three unfinished singles matches. Lukyanova took the first set at No. 2 singles in a tiebreaker while both Righi and Reagan Welch at No. 4 and 5 singles, respectively, were on the verge of sending their matches to a third set. Righi led Yuliya Kizelbasheva of DePaul 6-5 in set two after dropping the first set 6-1, while Welch was up 5-3 in the second over DePaul's Emily Casati.
 
NIU head coach Eric Burns said despite Sunday's result, he saw a lot of positives from the Huskies Friday in Iowa.
 
"It wasn't a bad trip overall, we felt good about winning the doubles at Iowa and Reagan had a good win in singles there," Burns said. "We came out a little slow at Northern Iowa and a year ago, we might have messed lost that match, this year we got through it."
 
NIU continues its February road swing with four matches in the state of Illinois next weekend, beginning at Western Illinois and Bradley on Friday, February 16 at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.  
 
DePaul (4-4) vs Northern Illinois (3-4)
02/11/2024 at Chicago, IL -- XS Tennis Village
 
DePaul 4, Northern Illinois 0
 
SINGLES
1.           Hannah Smith (DPU) def. Erika Dimitriev (NIU), 6-3, 6-3
2.           Sasha Stula (DPU) vs. Diana Lukyanova (NIU), 6-7 (2-7) unfinished
3.           Eleanor Nobbs (DPU) def. Nataly Ninova (NIU), 6-1, 6-2
4.           Yuliya Kizelbasheva (DPU) vs. Isabella Righi (NIU), 6-1, 5-6 unfinished
5.           Emily Casati (DPU) vs. Reagan Welch (NIU), 6-1, 3-5 unfinished
6.           Eva Goncharov (DPU) def. Jenna Horne (NIU), 6-1, 6-3

DOUBLES
1.           Greta Carbone/Hannah Smith (DPU) def. Erika Dimitriev/Nataly Ninova (NIU), 6-1
2.           Emily Casati/Yuliya Kizelbasheva (DPU) vs. Diana Lukyanova/Isabella Righi (NIU), 5-5 unfinished
3.           Eva Goncharov/Eleanor Nobbs (DPU) def. Jenna Horne/Reagan Welch (NIU), 6-4
 
MATCH NOTES
Order of finish:
Singles – 6, 3, 1; Doubles – 1, 3
 
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