Women's Tennis | January 31

| Box Score 2 MADISON, Wis. – The Northern Illinois University women's tennis team split a pair of matches in Wisconsin Friday with a 4-0 win over Milwaukee in the first match of the day before falling to Wisconsin, 6-1, in the nightcap. 
 
NIU head coach Eric Burns was pleased with the Huskies' play in both matches as NIU battled Wisconsin, especially at the bottom half of the singles line-up and at No. 3 doubles. Freshman Lucia Yecora accounted for the Huskies' point with a 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-3) win over the Badgers' Ellison Reynoldson at No. 4 singles.  At No. 5 singles, senior Reagan Welch fell 10-5 in the tiebreaker after winning the second set 7-5.
 
In doubles, Welch and Jenna Horne were leading their opponents at No. 3 doubles 5-3 when Wisconsin clinched the doubles point with 6-2 wins at the first two positions.
 
"Lucia did a really nice job to fight back from a set down, then to come back and win the tiebreaker, that was a great win for her and for the team," Burns said. "Reagan played well all day. She clinched the first match [versus Milwaukee] and then just came up short in the tiebreaker versus Wisconsin. Overall, the bottom half of the line-up played really well today at 4-5-6. Jenna [Horne] played a really tight match at 6; that could have gone either way."  
 
In the morning match, the Huskies dispatched Milwaukee by first, sweeping all three doubles matches. Horne did not surrender a game at No. 6 singles with a 6-0, 6-0 win, Nataly Ninova recorded the third point at No. 3 singles, winning 6-2, 6-0, and Welch clinched the victory by defeating the Panthers' Elisa Rubio 6-1, 6-4.
 
"This was a good day for us," Burns said. "We extended Wisconsin and pushed them in four spots – at No. 3 doubles and the last three singles. Every time we play a Big Ten or 'Power 4' opponent and we play well, it gives us a sense of confidence for the whole program."
 
NIU is now 5-2 on the season and next takes on Western Illinois at home on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House.
 
NIU Huskies 4, Milwaukee 0
Jan. 31, 2025 – Noon - at Madison, Wis.
(Nielsen Tennis Stadium)
 
Singles
1. Irmak Budak (NIU-W) vs. Nadiia Konieva (MKE) 6-4, 2-5, unfinished
2. Maria Dzemeshkevich (NIU-W) vs. Nikola Nikolajeva (MKE) 1-6, 5-3, unfinished
3. Nataly Ninova (NIU-W) def. Sara Simonova (MKE) 6-2, 6-0
4. Lucia Yecora (NIU-W) vs. Emilia Durska (MKE) 3-6, 6-4, unfinished
5. Reagan Welch (NIU-W) def. Elisa Rubio (MKE) 6-1, 6-4
6. Jenna Horne (NIU-W) def. Honoka Yamashita (MKE) 6-0, 6-0
 
Doubles
1. Maria Dzemeshkevich/Nataly Ninova (NIU-W) def. Nadiia Konieva/Nikola Nikolajeva (MKE) 6-1
2. Emilia Durska/Giorgia Cavestro (MKE) def. Isabella Righi/Lucia Yecora (NIU-W) 6-2
3. Reagan Welch/Jenna Horne (NIU-W) def. Elisa Rubio/Sara Simonova (MKE) 6-3
 
Wisconsin 6, NIU Huskies 1
Jan. 31, 2025 – 5:30 pm - at Madison, Wis.
(Nielsen Tennis Stadium)
 
Singles

1. Taylor Cataldi (WISC) def. Irmak Budak (NIU) 6-0, 6-4
2. #3 Maria Sholokhova (WISC) def. Maria Dzemeshkevich (NIU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Ekaterina Ivanova (WISC) def. Nataly Ninova (NIU) 6-1, 6-1
4. Lucia Yecora (NIU) def. Ellison Reynoldson (WISC) 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-3)
5. Kaja Jacobson (WISC) def. Reagan Welch (NIU) def. 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-5)
6. Ariel Johnson (WISC) def. Jenna Horne (NIU) 6-4, 6-3

 
Doubles

1. Ariel Johnson/Maria Sholokhova (WISC) def. Nataly Ninova/Maria Dzemeshkevich (NIU) 6-2
2. Ekaterina Ivanova/Ellison Reynoldson (WISC) def. Lucia Yecora/Isabella Righi (NIU) 6-2
3. Taylor Cataldi/Parker Christensen (WISC) vs. Jenna Horne/Reagan Welch (NIU) 3-5 (unf)

 
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