DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women’s tennis team swept every match in picking up a pair of road wins Friday, defeating Western Illinois, 7-0, and Bradley, 4-0, to improve to 5-4 on the 2024 season.
The Huskies opened the day by winning the doubles point at Western Illinois as NIU’s No. 1 and No. 3 doubles pairs each scored 6-1 wins. Singles went just as smoothly with all six NIU players scoring straight set wins. Sophomore Nataly Ninova lost just two games en route to her win at No. 3 singles while junior Angelica Ross recorded a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 6.
Just hours after wrapping up that win in Galesburg, Illinois, the Huskies traveled to Pekin, Illinois to take on Bradley. NIU once again claimed the doubles point with the No. 3 team of Jenna Horne and Reagan Welch winning 7-4 in a tiebreaker to clinch the point after Isabella Righi and Diana Lukyanova won their match, 6-3.
Lukyanova and Ninova put the Huskies ahead 3-0 with straight set wins at the second and third singles spots, respectively. Welch scored the game-winning point with a three-set win, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, over Bradley’s Andra Sirbu.
On the day, Welch won both of her doubles matches with two different partners while Lukyanova, Ninova and Welch posted two singles wins apiece.
The Huskies return to action Sunday, February 18, with another day/night doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m. at Chicago State. NIU will take on Northwestern Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
NIU Huskies 7, Western Illinois 0
2/16/2024 at Galesburg, Illinois
Singles
1. Erika Dimitriev (NIU-W) def. Lara Diniz de Souza (WIU) 7-5, 6-0
2. Diana Lukyanova (NIU-W) def. Paige Grice (WIU) 6-3, 6-3
3. Nataly Ninova (NIU-W) def. Agatha Carbonell (WIU) 6-1, 6-1
4. Isabella Righi (NIU-W) def. Maria Rybka (WIU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Reagan Welch (NIU-W) def. Anna-Evelina Trush (WIU) 6-1, 6-2
6. Angelica Ross (NIU-W) def. Aubrey Brunbaugh (WIU) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
1. Erika Dimitriev/Nataly Ninova (NIU-W) def. Paige Grice/Lara Diniz de Souza (WIU) 6-1
2. Agatha Carbonell/Maria Rybka (WIU) vs. Isabella Righi/Diana Lukyanova (NIU-W) 1-5, unfinished
3. Josefina Trella/Reagan Welch (NIU-W) def. Anna-Evelina Trush/Kate Lauger (WIU) 6-1
NIU Huskies 4, Bradley 0
2/16/24 at Pekin, Illinois
Singles
1. Erika Dimitriev (NIU-W) vs. Maria Bezmenova (BU) 7-6 (7-3), 4-5 unfinished
2. Diana Lukyanova (NIU-W) def. Anna Belogliadova (BU) 6-3, 6-1
3. Nataly Ninova (NIU-W) def. Kirstin Hailey (BU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Reagan Welch (NIU-W) def. Andra Sirbu (BU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1
5. Isabella Righi (NIU-W) vs. Maria Pukhina (BU) 0-1 unfinished
6. Jenna Horne (NIU-W) vs. Alexandra Hildreth (BU) unfinished
Doubles
1. Erika Dimitriev/Nataly Ninova (NIU-W) vs. Kirstin Hailey/Andra Sirbu (BU) 6-5 unfinished
2. Isabella Righi/Diana Lukyanova (NIU-W) def. Maria Bezmenova/Maria Pukhina (BU) 6-3
3. Jenna Horne/Reagan Welch (NIU-W) def. Anna Belogliadova/ Alexandra Hildreth (BU) 7-6 (7-4)
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