Playing outside for the first time this spring, the Northern Illinois University women’s tennis team won just one doubles and one singles match in a 6-1 loss to Western Michigan Sunday.

NIU’s No. 3 doubles team of Anastasia Rakita and Reagan Welch dispatched WMU’s Karin Hamilton and Polina Khotko 6-0 to open the match, but Western Michigan earned a 6-1 win at No. 1 doubles. The point was decided at line two where the Broncos’ Audrey Smitek and Julia Frazier claimed a 6-4 win over Erika Dimitriev and Nataly Ninova.

Western Michigan won five of six singles matches in straight sets with Karin Hamilton clinching the Broncos’ victory with a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles after wins by the No. 1 and No. 4 players.

Welch put the Huskies’ point on the board at No. 5 singles. After she and WMU’s Maya Perkucin split the first two sets, Welch won the super tiebreaker, 10-8.

The win game Western Michigan (13-6, 4-2 MAC) a split of the season series with NIU (13-9, 2-4 MAC).

The Huskies are on the road again next Friday, April 12 when they take on Toledo before returning home on Sunday, April 14 to face Ball State.

Western Michigan 6, NIU Huskies 1

4/7/2024 at Kalamazoo, Mich.

(Sorensen Courts)

Singles

1. Lindsey Zieglar (WMUW) def. Erika Dimitriev (NIU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Karin Hamilton (WMUW) def. Diana Lukyanova (NIU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Valeriya Monko (WMUW) def. Isabella Righi (NIU) 6-2, 6-4
4. Polina Khotko (WMUW) def. Nataly Ninova (NIU) 6-2, 6-1
5. Reagan Welch (NIU) def. Maya Perkucin (WMUW) 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8)
6. Ariane Souligny (WMUW) def. Jenna Horne (NIU) 6-3, 7-5

Doubles

1. Lindsey Zieglar/Valeriya Monko (WMUW) def. Isabella Righi/Diana Lukyanova (NIU) 6-1
2. Audrey Smitek/Julia Frazier (WMUW) def. Erika Dimitriev/Nataly Ninova (NIU) 6-4
3. Anastasia Rakita/Reagan Welch (NIU) def. Karin Hamilton/Polina Khotko (WMUW) 6-0

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,4,2,6,3,5)