DeKALB, Ill. – An energized and determined Northern Illinois University women's tennis team handed Eastern Michigan a 5-2 defeat Friday at the Nelson Tennis Center in Chick Evans Fieldhouse, one week after falling to the Eagles by a 6-1 score in Ypsilanti.
 
"The intensity and the energy was really good today," said NIU head coach Eric Burns. "We were very motivated from the last match against them. They got us 6-1 up there and we didn't like the way that went. We came out strong and had a nice crowd that helped bring the energy.  We got off to a great start in the doubles and fought all day.  That was a big win for us."
 
NIU (13-8, 2-3 MAC) earned the doubles point with wins by Anastasia Rakita and Reagan Welch at No. 3, 6-2, over EMU's Ksyusha Saenka and Sabrina Brichackova, and by the Huskies' No. 2 pair of Erika Dimitriev and Nataly Ninova over Linda Eloundou and Andrea Quiroz, 6-4.
 
"It was huge to get that doubles point," Burns said. "We got destroyed in doubles up there, so we were able to turn those today and that gave us confidence going into the singles."
 
 Eastern Michigan (8-9, 2-3 MAC) tied the match with a win at No. 1 singles, before the Huskies got straight set wins at No. 4, 3 and 2 singles by Isabella Righi, Ninova and Diana Lukyanova, respectively. Righi defeated Ksyusha Saenka for the second consecutive match with a 6-0, 6-2 win, while Ninova and Lukyanova came back after losing to the same opponents a week ago. Lukyanova's 7-5, 7-6 (7-0) win clinched the Huskies' second MAC win of the season halfway through the 10-match league schedule.
 
"We were surer of our game plans and what we needed to do [today]," Burns said. "Today we were executing better. Diana was able to hang in there today and take a few chances to come out on top and clinch the match."
 
Reagan Welch earned the Huskies' fifth point with a 7-5, 6-0 win at No. 5 singles.
 
NIU next competes Sunday at Western Michigan. The match begins at Noon (CT) in Kalamazoo.
 
NIU Huskies 5, Eastern Michigan 2
April 5, 2024 at DeKalb, Illinois (Nelson Tennis Center)
 
Singles
1. Daniella Shved (EMU) def. Erika Dimitriev (NIU-W) 6-3, 6-3
2. Diana Lukyanova (NIU-W) def. Prerna Vichare (EMU) 7-5, 7-6 (7-0)
3. Nataly Ninova (NIU-W) def. Andrea Quiroz (EMU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Isabella Righi (NIU-W) def. Ksyusha Saenka (EMU) 6-0, 6-2
5. Reagan Welch (NIU-W) def. Linda Eloundou (EMU) 7-5, 6-0
6. Sabrina Brichackova (EMU) def. Jenna Horne (NIU-W) 1-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-7)
 
Doubles
1. Diana Lukyanova/Isabella Righi (NIU-W) vs. Daniella Shved/Prerna Vichare (EMU) 5-4, unfinished
2. Erika Dimitriev/Nataly Ninova (NIU-W) def. Linda Eloundou/Andrea Quiroz (EMU) 6-4
3. Anastasia Rakita/Reagan Welch (NIU-W) def. Ksyusha Saenka/Sabrina Brichackova (EMU) 6-2
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (1,4,3,2,5,6)
 
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