DeKALB, Ill. – Trailing 4-0 and then 5-2 in a third set that would determine the match, Northern Illinois University sophomore Jenna Horne fought off four match points and stormed back to take the set, 7-5, giving NIU a 4-3 Mid-American Conference victory over Western Michigan Sunday at the Nelson Tennis Center.
 
Horne and WMU's Audrey Smitek locked up in a battle at No. 6 singles after the Broncos' Maya Perkucin won at the No. 5 position to tie the team score at 3-3, erasing the Huskies' 3-0 lead.  Smitek took the first set, 6-2 and led 4-2 in the second before Horne won the next four games to tie the match at one set apiece, setting up the deciding set.
 
"We talked before the day started that we needed someone to step up and be a hero for the team because we haven't gotten it done in tight situations lately," said NIU head coach Eric Burns. "Jenna went out there and executed and didn't show the kind of nerves you might expect from someone in that situation. Credit to her, she fought back, she fought of those four match points in the third set and did a great job of playing free and hanging in there."
 
NIU (12-7, 1-2 MAC) started the day by taking the doubles point with Anastasia Rakita and Reagan Welch defeating Polina Khotko and Ariane Souligny at No. 3 doubles, and NIU's Erika Dimitriev and Nataly Ninova clinching the point with a 6-4 win at No. 2.
 
"Obviously in a 4-3 match [winning] that doubles point was huge," Burns said. "We played really well across the board."
 
Straight set wins by Ninova and Diana Lukyanova at No. 4 and No. 2 singles, respectively, gave the Huskies a 3-0 lead. Lukyanova recorded her 81st career singles victory to move past Anna Widen (1996-2000) and into second place on NIU's career singles wins list. She also passed Widen for second place on the Huskies' career list for combined singles and doubles wins with 139.
 
Trailing 3-0, WMU (10-6, 0-2 MAC) came back to win three-set matches at No. 1 and No. 3 singles before Perkucin tied the match with her win at No. 5, setting up the winner take all match at No. 6 singles.  
 
"I'm really proud of the team and their effort to stay the course through the match," Burns said. "To get that first MAC win is great.  We went from 3-0 up to 3-3 and down 5-2 in the third set.  We were still able to overcome that and get the win, and I hope this is a shot in the arm and a confidence builder for our team going forward." 
 
NIU next travels to Ypsilanti, Michigan for a Friday (March 29) match versus Eastern Michigan beginning at Noon (CT).
 
NIU Huskies 4, Western Michigan 3
March 24, 2024 at DeKalb, Illinois
(Nelson Tennis Center)
 
Singles competition
1. Lindsey Zieglar (WMU) def. Erika Dimitriev (NIU-W) 6-7 (10-12), 6-1, 7-5
2. Diana Lukyanova (NIU-W) def. Valeriya Monko (WMU) 7-5, 6-4
3. Polina Khotko (WMU) def. Isabella Righi (NIU-W) 7-5, 3-6, 6-0
4. Nataly Ninova (NIU-W) def. Ariane Souligny (WMU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Maya Perkucin (WMU) def. Reagan Welch (NIU-W) 6-4, 7-5
6. Jenna Horne (NIU-W) def. Audrey Smitek (WMU) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5
 
Doubles competition
1. Diana Lukyanova/Isabella Righi (NIU-W) vs. Valeriya Monko/Lindsey Zieglar (WMU) 5-3, unfinished
2. Erika Dimitriev/Nataly Ninova (NIU-W) def. Julia Frazier/Audrey Smitek (WMU) 6-4
3. Anastasia Rakita/Reagan Welch (NIU-W) def. Polina Khotko/Ariane Souligny (WMU) 6-2
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (4,2,3,1,5,6
 
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