Men's Tennis | October 24

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team competed at the MAC Indoor Championships this weekend, hosted by Western Michigan. NIU produced its first top flight singles winner in the and recorded its highest finish on the doubles top flight. 

The tournament was the final event on the fall calendar and Huskies have had it circled on their calendars for months.

"MAC Indoors was the event we've been preparing for since the summer," said head coach René Vidal. "There's a lot at stake with its connection to the ITA Conference Masters and NCAA individual championships."

The Huskies were led by Nikola Puntaric (Ljubljana, Slovenia/Tulsa), who became the first NIU player to win the Singles Flight A draw at the MAC Indoor Championships. 

"Nikola showed incredible grit throughout the tournament," said Vidal. "One of the things that makes Nikola special is that he practices every day like it's Wimbledon."

On Friday, Puntaric opened the event with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Western Michigan's Chen Hui Ho. In the quarterfinals, the sophomore faced Buffalo's Theodoris Mitsakos and dropped the first set, but bounced back to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Puntaric needed another three sets in the semifinals against Toledo's Poonthong Komolpisut, holding on to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. With a trip to the ITA Championships on the line, Puntaric won a thriller against Western Michigan's Ashton Adesoro 6-2, 6-7, 6-1 to take home the Flight A crown. 

With the win, Puntaric qualified for the ITA Conference Masters Championships in San Diego, Cal. (Nov. 6-9) for a chance to qualify for the NCAA Individual Championships.

In doubles, Iker Gaztambide Arrastia (Pamplona, Spain/Jesuitas) and Puntaric reached the final in the Flight A draw, before falling short to Western Michigan's Drew Evans and Tim Riedel 7-5. 

"As a team, Iker and Nikola are a dynamic duo," said Vidal. "Their game styles and personalities complement each other very well. They have the potential to be one of the top doubles teams in the country."

Gaztambide Arrastia and Puntaric defeated Ball State's Andrew and Nolan Hayward in the quarterfinals 8-4 and won in convincing style in the semifinals, downing Toledo's Hanamichi Carvajal and Poonthong Komolpisut 8-1. 

Vidal praised Gaztambide Arrastia's resilience to battle through the competitive weekend.

"Co-captain Iker deserves a ton of credit because this is a guy who's been struggling with a hand injury and is not even close to playing near his potential. Yet, he chose to play and tough things out, exemplifying total grit," said Vidal.

Dual match season is up next for NIU with the first match set for Jan. 23, 2026 against IU Indy at home.

MAC Indoor Championships Draw