Women's Tennis | November 4

DeKALB, Ill. – Irmak Budak of the Northern Illinois University women's tennis team is set to compete in the ITA Conference Masters this weekend in Rome, Ga. at the Rome Tennis Center from Nov. 5 – 8. Four singles players will qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship (semifinalists) and two doubles teams will qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship through the Conference Masters (champion, finalist).

Budak will represent the Horizon League after winning the Singles Fall Championship on Oct. 4. Four of Budak's five wins in the HL Fall Championships came in three sets, capped by a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win over Youngstown State's Duru Kuscu to earn the Conference Masters bid.

Draws were announced Wednesday and Budak will face No. 4 seed Kyoka Kubo of Kansas on Thursday afternoon. Kubo holds a national ranking of No. 42 and earned All-Big 12 First Team Singles last spring.

Budak is 6-3 in singles competition this fall. Last time out, the junior recorded a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Hephzibah Oluwadare of Ohio State in the Round of 64 Singles Main Draw at the ITA Midwest Regionals before exiting in the Round of 32.

As a sophomore, Budak earned second-team all-conference honors after posting 14 wins at No. 1 singles. A key member of NIU's back-to-back postseason appearances, Budak has totaled 71 combined career wins.