WATCH: Streams for NIU-Colorado Match
Court 1: https://web.playsight.com/livestreaming/2947a6484fcf4455b27fda3dd3a5086b
Court 2: https://web.playsight.com/livestreaming/bd1d0c290f0b4e7e97ede55cc0d960b9
Court 3: https://web.playsight.com/livestreaming/89c28c34c85c45bd8729c6e9d1c83674
Court 4: https://web.playsight.com/livestreaming/a0564d20e12a4f5e8e36491c650d575e
Court 5: https://web.playsight.com/livestreaming/7fd49c0bf7264a0f84d7f94d3b422fcc
Court 6: https://web.playsight.com/livestreaming/00862a9946754f3a998c73218279d0c1

DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's tennis team opens its 2025 spring season this weekend (January 10-12) at the Northwestern Invitational where the Huskies will compete against Colorado, Notre Dame and Northwestern at the Combe Tennis Center in Evanston.
 
The tournament features a hidden dual format with individual results only and no team scores. The Huskies will match up against Colorado on Friday, January 10 at 11 a.m., take on Notre Dame Saturday, January 11 at 3:30 p.m. and play Northwestern on Sunday, January 12 at 1:30 p.m.
 
"There are not a lot of teams like us that can go and play three Top 50 teams in a weekend," said NIU head coach Eric Burns, who is in his sixth season at the helm of the Huskie program in 2024-25. "With no team scores in this tournament, this is a great opportunity to get some great experience and have an opportunity to compete at a high level. We could stay in DeKalb and practice, or we could test ourselves, play well, build some confidence and get ready for the dual match season."
 
NIU earned a No. 4 ranking in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll after finishing fifth in the league, just one spot short of qualifying for the four-team MAC Tournament, a year ago.
Miami took the top spot in the poll of MAC women's tennis coaches with 48 points, followed by Toledo (38), Eastern Michigan (35) and NIU (30).
 
"We're really excited to be picked in the top four as that hasn't happened in a while," Burns said. "But it doesn't mean anything because you still have to do the work and get the results. The MAC is so competitive. The seventh-place team is good enough to beat the top team. We have been working hard to get that respect for a while here, so that was nice to see, but the work still has to be done."
 
NIU posted a 16-10 record last spring, including a 10-3 mark at home in the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House in head coach Eric Burns' fifth season at the helm of the program.
 
Senior Reagan Welch and junior Nataly Ninova have been named team captains, while senior Erika Dimitriev, who has played at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots throughout her career, already ranks in NIU's career Top 10 for singles and doubles wins with 56 and 60, respectively. Welch is just behind Dimitriev and on the verge of the Top 10 in singles wins with 55.  
University of Houston transfer Maria Dzemeshkevich leads the newcomers as she played three seasons at the top two singles positions for the Cougars.
 
The Northwestern Invitational is the final tournament before the Huskies open their 2025 dual match season on Friday, January 17 versus Lindenwood in O'Fallon, Illinois. The first home dual is set for Saturday, January 25th with matches against Northern Iowa and Eastern Illinois.
 
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