NIU Sweeps Titles at Huskie Fall Invitational – NIU Athletics

Women’s Tennis | October 29

DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women’s tennis team wrapped up its fall season with three days of action over the weekend at the Huskie Fall Invitational, played at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House.
 
NIU’s six singles players went a perfect 12-0 through the first two days of the tournament, which also featured players from Eastern Illinois, St. Thomas, Chicago State and Lewis. Diana Lukyanova and Erika Dimitriev reached the finals of the Flight A Singles Draw, Isabella Righi and Nataly Ninova each won two matches to advance to the Flight B Singles Final and Jenna Horne and Reagan Welch made the Flight C Final.
 
Rather than play the teammates they face each day in practice, the draws were redrawn for Sunday’s singles matches, allowing each player to compete against a new opponent. The Huskies finished the tournament 16-2 in singles with the only losses in a 10-point tiebreaker after splitting sets.
 
“We fought really hard all weekend with a lot of good competition all the way around that should really help prepare us [for the spring season],” said NIU head coach Eric Burns. “It’s always good to come here and win a lot of matches and finish the fall season that way. It really helps our players build a lot of confidence in their games, they were able to share some championships and feel good about the last tournament of the year.”
 
The Huskies also enjoyed a successful weekend in doubles. Dimitriev and Ninova won the Flight A doubles title, defeating Helin Alvarez and Ethel Li of Chicago State, 7-5, in the final. The Huskie pair was a perfect 4-0 in the tournament. Lukyanova and Righi also won all four of their doubles matches to claim the Flight B crown with a 6-3 win over a Lewis duo in the final.
 
“I liked the way we competed in doubles, even in the matches we lost, we were trying some things and overall, I thought it was productive,” Burns said. “We made big improvements in the doubles and big improvements overall. It was a really good fall season for us.”
 
Over the course of the fall tournament season, NIU’s six singles players compiled a 29-14 record and went 18-12 in doubles.  The Huskies return to action on Saturday, January 20 when the spring dual match season gets underway when NIU plays host to Wisconsin.  
 
NIU HUSKIE FALL INVITATIONAL RESULTS
 
SINGLES
Flight A
Diana Lukyanova (NIU) def. Jemma Booth (EIU) 6-1, 6-4
Erika Dimitriev (NIU) def. Jannah Elnemr (UST) 6-0, 6-1
Lukyanova (NIU) def. Katarina Dukic (CSU) 1-6, 6-3 (11-9)
Dimitriev (NIU) def. Sofiya Sedovich (CSU) 7-5, 4-6 (10-7)
 
Flight B
Isabella Righi (NIU) def. Sreevally Medishetti (Lewis) 6-1, 6-1
Nataly Ninova (NIU) def. Addison Brown (EIU) 6-4, 6-4
Righi (NIU) def. Ethel Li (CSU) 6-4, 6-1
Ninova (NIU) def. Brooklyn Ross (Lewis) 6-7 (3), 6-3 (10-4)
 
Flight C
Jenna Horne (NIU) def. Benedetta Luccone (Lewis) 6-0, 6-1
Reagan Welch (NIU) def. Charleigh Fay (EIU) WO
Horne (NIU) def. Amina Taibi (CSU) 6-4, 6-3
Welch (NIU) def. Naisha Srivastav (UST) 6-0, 6-2
 
Sunday Matches
Righi (NIU) def. Regina Talavera (ST) 6-0, 6-0
Ninova (NIU) def. Benedetta Luccone (Lewis) 7-5, 6-2
Lukyanova (NIU) def. Sofiya Sedovich (CSU) 6-4, 6-7 (7-4), 10-8
Katarina Dukic (CSU) def. Dimitriev (NIU) 4-6, 6-4, 10-8
Welch (NIU) def. Ross (Lewis) 6-2, 6-2
Li (CSU) def. Horne (NIU) 6-3, 2-6, 11-9
 
DOUBLES
Flight A
Welch/ Horne (NIU) def. Lindahl/ Elnemr (St. Thomas) 6-4
Dimitriev/Ninova (NIU) def. Smith/Hills (Lewis) 6-1
Alvarez/Li (Chicago State) def. Welch/Horne (NIU) 6-2
Dimitriev/Ninova (NIU) def. Dukic/Sedovich (Chicago State) 6-3
Dimitriev/Ninova (NIU) def. Alvarez/Li (Chicago State) 7-5
 
Flight B
Lukyanova/Righi (NIU) def. Srivastav/Talavera (St. Thomas) 6-1
Lukyanova/Righi (NIU) def. Medishetti/Luccone (Lewis) 6-2
Lukyanova/Righi (NIU) def. Ross/Aguilar (Lewis) 6-3
 
Additional Matches
Medishetti/Luccone (Lewis) def. Welch/Horne (NIU) 6-3
Dimitriev/Ninova (NIU) def. Eloundou Nga/Taibi (Chicago State) 6-1
Lukyanova/Righi (NIU) def. Lindahl/Elnemr (St. Thomas) 6-1
 
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