ROME, Ga. – The Northern Illinois University women's tennis team wrapped up a record-breaking season Thursday in a consolation match of the NIT Championships with St. Mary's College of California taking a 4-0 victory.
The Huskies finished the season 22-9 while setting the school record for dual match wins and winning the Mid-American Conference West Division title for the first time.
The final score of Thursday's match, which sees all matches stopped once a team reaches four wins, was not indicative of the Huskies' high level of competition, said NIU head coach
Eric Burns.
"We were right there in this match," Burns said. "They probably got the bigger points and played a little better, but that is a good team we played. We went back-to-back day with teams from the West Coast Conference so to compete against those types of schools and really battle for two days straight… we were a little tired today, but we left it all out there in this match and that's something to really be proud of."
Three of the six singles matches went to a third set, including the clinching match at No. 2 singles, which gave St. Mary's its fourth and final point. In addition, for the second straight day, NIU's
Isabella Righi was within striking distance of a win at No. 5 singles as she led SMC's Stefanie Silva 7-6 (7-4), 4-0 when play was stopped.
Freshman
Lucia Yecora and junior
Nataly Ninova were in the middle of their third sets at No. 3 and 4 singles, respectively. Yecora won her first set 6-4, while Ninova took the second set in her match, 6-2.
At No. 1 doubles, Ninova and
Maria Dzemeshkevich were within four points of a tiebreaker win as they led 3-0 when play was stopped as the Gaels earned wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.
The tournament marked the final appearances in a Huskie uniform for seniors
Erika Dimitriev,
Reagan Welch and Dzemeshkevich. All three have added their names to the NIU record books during their NIU careers.
"These seniors helped us turn around the culture of this program," Burns said. "They have helped us get to a really good place and are leaving it WAY better than it was when they got here. They've been a part of a lot of change and a lot of really good accomplishments as Huskies."
St. Mary's College of Califonia 4, NIU 0
NIT Championship Consolation – May 8, 2025
Rome, Ga. – Rome Tennis Center
Singles
- Iman Khan (SMC) def. Maria Dzemeshkevich (NIU) 6-1, 6-2
- Juliette Daries (SMC) def. Irmak Budak (NIU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
- MiaAngelina Ruja (SMC) vs. Lucia Yecora (NIU) 4-6, 6-0, 3-0 INC
- Oliva Rook (SMC) vs. Nataly Ninova (NIU) 6-4, 2-6, 4-1 INC
- Isabella Righi (NIU) vs. Stefanie Silva (SMC) 7-6 (7-4), 4-0 INC
- Madison Weekley (SMC) def. Theodora Kousiou (NIU) 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
- Dzemeshkevich/Ninova (NIU) vs. Rook/Khan (SMC) 6-6 (3-0)
- Ruja/Weekley (SMC) def. Righi/Yecora (NIU) 6-4
- Daries/Silva (SMC) def. Welch/Horne (NIU) 6-3
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