Mid-American Conference

MAC Women's Tennis Scoreboard

Friday, April 10
Ball State 4, Northern Illinois 3
Eastern Michigan 4, Toledo 3

Saturday, April 11
Akron 5, Buffalo 2
Miami 7, Bowling Green 0

Sunday, April 12
Ball State 5, Eastern Michigan 2
Western Michigan 4, Northern Illinois 3


Akron:

Women's Tennis Claims 5-2 Win At Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y.— The University of Akron women's tennis team picked up a 5-2 victory in Mid-American Conference action on Saturday afternoon at the Miller Tennis Center.  The Zips improved to 10-11 overall and 2-5 MAC play, while the Bulls fell to 6-10 overall and 2-4 in the league.

Buffalo captured the doubles point with wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. The No. 1 teams did not finish play.

In singles action, Akron claimed five of six victories. At No. 2. junior Martina Zerbola (Neuquen, Argentina) defeated Margarita Kotok in three sets, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2. At No. 3, senior Olga Shkundina (Ufa, Russia) went to a tie-breaker to beat Dayana Agasieva, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3). At the No. 4 spot, freshman Ariadna Blinova (Riga, Latvia) defeated Laura Fernandez, 7-6 (5), 6-4. At No. 5, freshman Sophia Geier (Burgebrach, Germany) easily handled Laura Holterbosch, 6-3, 6-3. Sophomore Shannon Newnes (Romford, London) beat Christine Haraldson, 6-4, 6-2.

Akron returns home for its final MAC match of the season, hosting Northern Illinois on Friday, April 17, at 1 p.m. Lone senior Olga Shkundina will be honored before the match.

AKRON 5, BUFFALO 2
MILLER TENNIS CENTER
April 11, 2015

Doubles:
1. Margarita Kotok / Dayana Agasieva (UB) vs. Karolina Maksimova/ Shannon Newnes (UA), DNF 5-3
2. Laura Holterbosch / Tanja Stojanovska (UB) def. Martina Zerbola / Sophia Geier, 6-3
3. Laura Fernandez / Christine Haraldson (UB) def. Olga Shkundina / Ariadna Blinova , 6-4

Singles:
1. Tanja Stojanovska (UB) def. Karolina Maksimova, 6-0, 6-3
2. Martina Zerbola (UA) def. Margarita Kotok, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2
3. Olga Shkundina (UA) def. Dayana Agasieva, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3)
4. Ariadna Blinova (UA) def. Laura Fernandez, 7-6 (5), 6-4
5. Sophia Geier (UA) def. Laura Holterbosch, 6-3, 6-3
6. Shannon Newnes (UA) def. Christine Haraldson, 6-4, 6-2

Order of finish:
Doubles— 2, 3
Singles— 1, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2


Ball State:

Women's Tennis Tops Eagles, 5-2

MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State women's tennis team extended its Mid-American Conference win streak to four Sunday afternoon with a 5-2 win over Eastern Michigan at the Cardinal Creek Tennis Center.

"We are by no means done with what we are trying to accomplish but I'm so impressed by my team," Ball State head women's tennis coach Max Norris said.  "We've been through a lot but I wouldn't want any other group. They consistently accept challenges we as coaches give them day in and day out and it showed in a match like today. Eastern Michigan is a good team and they make you earn every point. For us to compete well in all nine spots today makes me proud and excited to get back to work. Go cards!"

Ball State (13-4, 3-2 MAC) jumped out to a 1-0 lead over Eastern Michigan (7-12, 3-4 MAC) after a pair of victories on the doubles courts.  The Cardinals top duo of Rosalinda Calderon and Courtney Earnest were the first match off the court, after defeating the Eagles Klara Supejova and Andrea Martinovska, 6-2.  Eastern Michigan would answer quickly with a win on court three but Bethany Moore alongside teammate Courtney Wild clinched the doubles point for Ball State after earning a 7-5 win at the No. 2 position.

In singles action, Wild and Earnest earned victories on the top two courts to put the Cardinals up 3-0 over the Eagles.  Wild, who won her 83rd career match, is now tied for sixth all-time in wins for Ball State with former Cardinal Lori Hill, defeated Supejova, 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 1 slot.  Earnest also took down her opponent in straight sets, after posting a 6-2, 6-3 win over Gogvadze.

After that, Eastern Michigan's Martinovska defeated Toni Ormond on court three.  Moore would then capture a three set thriller over Renu Sharma at the No. 6 singles position, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, for the fourth point, clinching the victory for Ball State.  Calderon also won in three sets over Ana Veleva at the No. 4 slot while teammate Ashlyn Rang lost a heartbreaker to Alejandra Barcelo on court five.

"Going into today I knew I needed to play with intent and be focused throughout both singles and doubles," junior Bethany Moore said.  "During doubles Courtney Wild and I knew if we could just start off the point and get to the net we would be able to pull out the match. In my singles match I was just trying to focus on being disciplined during points and waiting on my opportunity to attack."

The Ball State women's tennis team will host its last two home matches of the season Friday, against Bowling Green (1 p.m.) and IUPUI (5 p.m.) Both matches are scheduled to be played at the Cardinal Creek Tennis Center.


Cardinals Clinch 4-3 Win Over NIU

DEKALB, Ill. - The Ball State women's tennis team won its second-straight Mid-American Conference match Friday afternoon at Northern Illinois by a score of 4-3.

With the win, the Cardinals improved their overall record to 12-4 on the season and 2-2 in league action while the Huskies fall to 11-6 overall and 2-3 in MAC play.

"So proud of my team today," Ball State head women's tennis coach Max Norris said.  "Everyone played a part in this win. Midway through the match you could tell it was going to be close. Nevertheless we stepped up as a team and won here where NIU was previously 7-0. I saw some tremendous growth from Ball State today. We are so excited for Sunday! Go cards!"

Rosalinda Calderon alongside doubles partner Courtney Earnest started doubles off with a 6-0 victory on the top court.  Bethany Moore and Courtney Wild then clinched the doubles point for Ball State with their 6-3 victory over Evelyn Youel and Abigail Dekkinga at the No. 2 doubles position.

In singles action, Earnest put the Cardinals up 2-0 over the Huskies after claiming a 6-2, 6-2, win over Cristina Alvarez.  Northern Illinois quickly responded taking the next two matches from Ball State on courts six and four to even the score 2-2 with three matches remaining.

After that, Toni Ormond would give Ball State a 3-2 advantage over Northern Illinois after beating Mary Malkin, 6-4, 7-5 at the No. 3 position.  On court five, Ashlyn Rang would clinch the winning point for the Cardinals after taking a three set thriller, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, from Evelyn Youel.  Wild was the last match to finish, the senior battled but lost in three sets to Nelle Youel, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-4 for her first conference loss of the season.

"I went into the match fully prepared for a battle, but I was determined to come out on top," Ball State women's tennis player Ashlyn Rang said.  "I stayed strong and focused, especially when it counted in the third set. The team deserved this win. We have been working extremely hard. I'm very proud of what we have accomplished and I look forward to what we will continue to achieve the rest of the year."


Bowling Green:

Falcons Fall 7-0 To Miami

Miami University downed the Bowling Green State University tennis team, 7-0, Saturday afternoon (April 11) in Mid-American Conference action at Keefe Courts.

With the victory, the RedHawks clinch at least a share of the MAC regular-season championship. The Falcons had only five healthy players for Saturday's match, and BG was forced to forfeit at the third singles and sixth doubles flights. Miami captured the doubles match at the number-two flight to take the first point of the match, then swept each of the five singles matches that were played.

"We saw some improvements individually from the girls today," said BGSU coach Olga Elkin. "We are excited to get back to work this week and for the matches this weekend."

The Falcons will hit the road for a pair of matches to close the regular season. BGSU will face Ball State University on Friday (April 17), then will face Eastern Michigan University in Sunday (April 19) action.

MIAMI 7, BGSU 0
Saturday, April 11, 2015 – Keefe Courts – Bowling Green, Ohio
SINGLES
1 – Alix Thurman (MU) def. Megan Miller 6-1, 6-2
2 – Christine Guerrazzi (MU) def. Harley Hutchison 6-1, 6-2
3 – Nelli Ponomareva (MU) def. Emily Witt 6-3, 6-1
4 – Hannah Shteyn (MU) def. Antonina Farrar 6-1, 6-0
5 – Erin Rodriguez (MU) def. Sydney Seeley 6-0, 6-0
6 – Ana Rajkovic (MU) won by default

DOUBLES
1 – Ponomareva/Guerrazzi (MU) vs. Hutchison/Miller (BGSU), 5-0 DNF
2 – Andreea Badileanu/Ramona Costea (MU) def. Farrar/Witt 6-0
3 – Shteyn/Thruman (MU) won by default


Buffalo:

Women's Tennis Falls 5-2 To Akron

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo, State University of New York women's tennis team dropped a 5-2 Mid-American Conference decision to Akron Saturday afternoon at the Miller Tennis Center.

The Bulls (6-10, 2-4 MAC) took the doubles point and the top singles match, but the Zips (10-11, 2-5 MAC) won second through sixth singles en route to victory.

Sophomore Laura Holterbosch and freshman Tanja Stojanovska won their second doubles match, 6-3, while senior Laura Fernandez and freshman Christine Haraldson picked up a 6-4 win at three. Sophomore Margarita Kotok and junior Dayana Agasieva's top match was called at 5-3.

Stojanovska took the top singles match defeating Karolina Maksimova, 6-0, 6-3. The Bulls went three at second and third singles, but the Zips took fourth, fifth and sixth in straight sets. Kotok dropped a hard-fought 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 match to Martina Zerbola and Agasieva fell to Olga Shkundina, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Fernandez, UB's lone senior, was honored prior to the match for her contributions to the program.

UB will play its final regular-season match on Saturday, April 18 against Northern Illinois at Akron at 1 pm.

DOUBLES
No. 1: Kotok/Agasieva (UB) vs. Maksimova/Newnes (UA), DNF 5-3
No. 2: Holterbosch/Stojanovska (UB) def. Zerbola/Geier (UA), 6-3
No. 3: Fernandez/Haraldson (UB) def. Shkundina/Blinova (UA), 6-4

SINGLES
No. 1: Tanja Stojanovska (UB) def. Karolina Maksimova (UA), 6-0, 6-3
No. 2: Martina Zerbola (UA) def. Margarita Kotok (UB), 7-6, 2-6, 6-2
No. 3: Olga Shkundina (UA) def. Dayana Agasieva (UB), 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3)
No. 4: Ariadna Blinova (UA) def. Laura Fernandez (UB), 7-6 (5), 6-4
No. 5: Sophia Geier (UA) def. Laura Holterbosch (UB), 6-3, 6-3
No. 6: Shannon Newnes (UA) def. Christine Haraldson (UB), 6-4, 6-2


Eastern Michigan:

Women's Tennis Falls At Ball State, 5-2

MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Eastern Michigan University tennis team fell on the road, 5-2, at Ball State University Sunday, April 12. The Eagles (7-13, 3-4 MAC) dropped the doubles point before the Cardinals (13-4, 3-1 MAC) took four of six singles contests.

Beginning in doubles action, the Green and White dropped a pair of three matches to fall behind, 1-0. At No. 1, Klara Supejova and Andrea Martinovska fell, 6-3, to Ball State's Courtney Earnest and Rosa Calderon, while Daphne Friedrichs and Alejandra Barcelo Almoyna defeated Toni Ormond and Ashlyn Rang, 6-4. Despite coming back to knot things up, the Eagles' No. 2 duo of Ani Gogvadze and Maria Paula Ribero dropped a 7-5 decision to the Cardinals' Bethany Moore and Courtney Wild to fall behind.

In singles action, Supejova fell to Wild, 6-3, 6-4, while Earnest defeated Gogvadze, 6-2, 6-3. Almoyna and Martinovska were the two Eagles to come away with victories as Martinovska defeated Ormond, 6-3, 6-2, while Almoyna Knocked off Range, 6-7, 7-6, 1-0 (5), however the Green and White could not overtake the Cardinals, dropping the other two singles contests.

"With two people out of the singles lineup with injury, we just couldn't overcome that to beat Ball State today," stated Head Coach Ryan Ray. "Again, we lost a close doubles point which a little more focus and intensity could have pushed is through.  We need to get healthy for Bowling Green and the MAC tournament in two weeks."

EMU returns to the court Sunday, April 19, when it hosts Bowling Green State University for its regular season finale at the Claudia Wasik Tennis Complex. Eastern and the Falcons look to get underway Sunday at 1 p.m.

Doubles
1.  Earnest/Calderon (BSU) def. Supejova/Martinovska 6-3
2.  Moore/Wild (BSU) def. Gogvadze/Ribero 7-5
3.  Friedrichs/Barcelo def. Ormond/Rang (BSU) 6-4

Singles
1.  Courtney Wild (BSU) def.  Klara Supejova 6-3,6-4
2.  Courtney Earnest (BSU) def. Ani Gogvadze 6-2,6-3
3.  Andrea Martinovska def. Toni Ormond (BSU) 6-3,6-2
4.  Rosa Calderon (BSU) def. Anna Veleva 6-4,5-7,6-2
5.  Alejandra Barcelo def. Ashlyn Rang (BSU) 6-7,7-6,1-0(5)
6.  Bethany Moore (BSU) def. Renu Sharma 6-4,2-6,6-1


Eagles Win At Toledo, 4-3

TOLEDO, Ohio -- After falling behind, 1-0, the Eastern Michigan University tennis team rallied to defeat the University of Toledo, 4-3, in a Mid-American Conference dual match at the UT Varsity Tennis Courts. The Eagles (7-12, 3-3 MAC) used four singles victories to dispatch the Rockets (13-8, 4-3 MAC) on Friday, April 10.

The Green and White fell in a pair of the doubles tilts as Toledo's Pia Rygh and Lauren Thai knocked off EMU's Klara Supejova and Andrea Martinovska, 6-3, in the No. 1 spot. For the Eagles' No. 1 doubles team, it was their first loss since Feb. 27, when the Green and White defeated nationally-ranked UC Irvine. During that stretch, the duo was 6-0. Alejandra Barcelo Almoyna and Daphne Friedrichs met the same fate at No. 3 doubles as they dropped a 6-3 decision to UT's Sidney Huck and Mackenzie Bowman. EMU's No. 2 doubles squad of Ani Gogvadze and Maria Paula Ribero were trailing 5-4 in their match before it was left unfinished due to the doubles point being decided.

Trailing 1-0 after doubles play, the Green and White rebounded, taking 4-of-6 singles matches. Supejova defeated Lexi Pitt at No. 1, 6-2, 7-6, while Gogvadze continued her hot play with a 6-4, 7-5 win versus Rygh in the No. 2 spot. The Tbilisi, Georgia native's victory was her third-straight in singles play. Friedrichs went three sets with Emily Mazzola, but came away victorious, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, while Anna Veleva dropped her first set to Bowman, 6-3, but responded with a 6-4 second set win. In the third set with Veleva leading, Bowman retired, giving the freshman her sixth-career win.

"This is a big road win for us," remarked Head Coach Ryan Ray. "Toledo played great doubles today and took many no-ad points from us. The ladies are doing a much better job of competing from start to finish, and Daphne did a great job of finishing her match with confidence. We will look to bring the energy again Sunday."

Doubles
1.  Rygh/Thai (UT) def. Supejova/Martinovska 6-3
2.  Mazzola/Pitt (UT) led Gogvadze/Ribero 5-4
3.  Huck/Bowman (UT) def. Friedrichs/Barcelo 6-3

Singles
1.  Klara Supejova def. Lexi Pitt (UT) 6-2,7-6
2.  Ani Gogvadze def. Pia Rygh (UT) 6-4,7-5
3.  Sidney Huck (UT) def. Andrea Martinovska 2-6,7-5,6-4
4.  Daphne Friedrichs def. Emily Mazzola (UT) 6-1,3-6,6-4
5.  Anna Veleva def. Mackenzie Bowman (UT) 3-6,6-4,1-0, Retired
6.  Lauren Thai (UT) def. Alejandra Barcelo Almoyna 6-3,6-2


Miami:

RedHawks Clinch Share Of MAC Regular Season Title

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – In a decisive result, the Miami University women’s tennis team clinched at least a share of its seventh consecutive Mid-American Conference regular season championship (21st overall), defeating Bowling Green, 7-0, on Saturday afternoon at the Keefe Courts. The RedHawks (13-6, 7-0) will clinch the outright title with either a loss by Western Michigan tomorrow against Northern Illinois or a victory next Sunday against Ball State.

In doubles play, the pair of senior Ramona Costea and sophomore Andreea Badileanu was victorious for the 13th consecutive match with a 6-0 victory over Antonina Farrar and Emily Witt in second flight. With a default victory in third flight, the first flight match featuring senior Christine Guerrazzi and freshman Nelli Ponomareva was abandoned with the Miami pair leading 5-0.

The RedHawks’ dominance carried over into singles play with five straight sets victories. Senior Alix Thurman won in first flight with a 6-1, 6-2 result over Megan Miller. Guerrazzi earned her seventh consecutive victory with a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Harley Hutchison. Ponomareva and Shteyn also remained undefeated in MAC competition with victories over Witt (6-3, 6-1) and Farrar (6-1, 6-0) respectively. Finally in fifth flight, freshman Erin Rodriguez earned her second MAC victory in a 6-0, 6-0 contest against Sydney Seeley. In sixth flight, junior Ana Rajkovic was victorious by default.

The RedHawks will return home for their regular season finale as they face the Ball State Cardinals on Sunday, April 19 at 1 p.m. at the Hepburn Varsity Tennis Courts. Before the match, the three senior players, Ramona Costea, Christine Guerrazzi, and Alix Thurman, will be honored. Check MURedHawks.com for live stats and a recap of the match.

SINGLES
1.    Alix Thurman (MU) def. Megan Miller (BGSU), 6-1, 6-2
2.    Christine Guerrazzi (MU) def. Harley Hutchison (BGSU), 6-1, 6-2
3.    Nelli Ponomareva (MU) def. Emily Witt (BGSU), 6-3, 6-1
4.    Hannah Shteyn (MU) def. Antonina Farrar (BGSU), 6-1, 6-0
5.    Erin Rodriguez (MU) def. Sydney Seeley (BGSU), 6-0, 6-0
6.    Ana Rajkovic (MU), default

DOUBLES
1.    Christine Guerrazzi/Nelli Ponomareva (MU) vs. Harley Hutchison/Megan Miller (BGSU), unfinished
2.    Andreea Badileanu/Ramona Costea (MU) def. Antonina Farrar/Emily Witt (BGSU), 6-0
3.    Hannah Shteyn/Alix Thurman (MU), default


Northern Illinois:

Youel Sets Another School Record

DeKALB, Ill. - It was only fitting that Northern Illinois University women's tennis senior Nelle Youel, who already owned the school record for career combined and singles win totals, set the NIU all-time mark for doubles wins in a career on her Senior Day.

In front of a nice crowd that watched the team's first on-campus match of the season, Youel (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) won her 74th collegiate doubles match at the West Tennis Courts in DeKalb, combining with fellow senior Arantza De La Torre (San Luis Potosi, Mexico/Motolinia) to defeat Western Michigan's top tandem of Caroline Aleck and Meika Ashby, 6-3.

Youel went ahead of Mary Ellis' previous NIU record that had stood since 1986, giving the Huskie senior from Crystal Lake every major NIU women's tennis career record. She then won her No. 1 singles match in emphatic fashion -- 6-0, 6-3 -- over Olivia Myers to remain undefeated and improve to 18-0 (6-0 MAC) in singles this spring. Youel is now 29-2 overall in 2015.

But despite earning the doubles point and also taking two singles matches thanks to victories from the the Youel sisters -- Nelle at No. 1 and Evelyn at No. 5 -- the Huskies (11-7, 2-4 MAC) dropped their final home match of the season to the Western Michigan Broncos (14-8, 6-1 MAC) by a scoreline of 4-3.

NIU head coach Tanya Gombera was ecstatic after her team won the doubles point and was then disappointed at the end, but she was still proud of her team's effort against the traditional MAC powerhouse Broncos.

"It was a tough match. We played so well to take the doubles point after making some adjustments in our lineup, but we have to work on some things and improve in singles," Gombera said. "I'm proud of our team, especially with the way Nelle played in her final home match, and I thought it was a great day for all four of our seniors."

Youel and De La Torre, who played as a doubles pair for the first time this season on Sunday, were joined by Mary Malkin (Tel Aviv, Israel/Alliance) and Stephanie McDonald (Harare, Zimbabwe/St. Anne's Diocesan College) as the four Huskies were recognized on NIU women's tennis Senior Day prior to the match.

It was Malkin and freshman Evelyn Youel who clinched the doubles point for NIU, winning the No. 3 match in a thrilling tiebreaker over Olivia Myers and Tracy Kuhle.

Unfortunately the Broncos won four singles matches at No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 6 to turnaround the score and clinch the team match with four points. They then conceded the No. 5 match to Evelyn Youel, making the final score 4-3.

Coach Gombera will return to her old stomping grounds next weekend when the Huskies play at Akron and face Buffalo. She played for the Zips from 2005-09, where she was a four-year letterwinner and All-MAC selection.

"I'm excited to return to Akron, and I have confidence that we can go there next weekend and be successful," she said.

Western Michigan 4, NIU 3

Doubles
No. 1: Nelle Youel and Arantza De La Torre (NIU) def. Caroline Aleck and Meika Ashby (WMU), 6-3
No. 2: Barbare Eristavi and Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Cristina Alvarez and Abigail Dekkinga (NIU), 6-3
No. 3: Mary Malkin and Evelyn Youel (NIU) def. Olivia Myers and Tracy Kuhle (WMU), 7-6 (5)

Singles
No. 1: Nelle Youel (NIU) def. Olivia Myers (WMU), 6-0, 6-3
No. 2: Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Cristina Alvarez (NIU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 3: Barbare Eristavi (WMU) def. Mary Malkin (NIU), 6-4, 6-1
No. 4: Tracy Kuhle (WMU) def. Arantza De La Torre (NIU), 6-1, 6-1
No. 5: Evelyn Youel (NIU) def. Caroline Aleck (WMU), 6-4, 3-0 (retired)
No. 6: Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Abigail Dekkinga (NIU), 6-1, 6-2


Huskies Fall To Cardinals In Close Match

ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University women's tennis team lost a hard-fought battle against Ball State on Friday afternoon in Mid-American Conference action, with the Huskies dropping a 4-3 decision to the Cardinals.

After high winds in DeKalb forced the match, which was scheduled to be played on campus, to be moved to the Boylan Tennis Center in Rockford, the Huskies (11-6, 2-3 MAC) and Cardinals (12-4, 2-2 MAC) played a back-and-forth match that featured many momentum swings.

NIU head coach Tanya Gombera described the defeat as a "tough loss", but was pleased with the battling attitude the Huskies showed.

"The team played so hard. This match could've went either way," Gombera said. "We showed so much heart, and I am happy with the way everybody played, especially Nelle [Youel], Abigail [Dekkinga] and Arantza [De La Torre]. We're looking forward to our next matches because if we play like we did today, we have a great chance to be successful."

Ball State won the doubles point with victories in the No. 1 and No. 2 matches to start off the contest, which proved decisive after the two teams split the six singles matches evenly.

The Cardinals won two singles matches to take a 3-0 lead, but Arantza De La Torre (San Luis Potosi, Mexico/Motolinia) and Abigail Dekkinga (Allegan, Mich./Allegan) responded by earning singles wins to pull the score back to 3-2, leaving the Youel sisters -- Nelle at No. 1 and Evelyn at No. 5 -- as the only two Huskies on the court, knowing victories by both would lift NIU to a crucial team triumph.

Unfortunately for NIU, Evelyn Youel (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) dropped a three-set match to Ashlyn Rang after fighting back from a set down, and Ball State clinched the match.

However, NIU senior No. 1 singles player Nelle Youel (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) improved to 17-0 (5-0 MAC) in singles this spring with a thrilling three-set victory over Courtney Wild. After the top singles players on each team split the first two sets, Youel battled back from 3-0 down in the third set to win 6-4 and keep her perfect singles record alive.

Ball State 4, NIU 3

Doubles
No. 1: Courtney Earnest and Rosalinda Calderon (BSU) def. Nelle Youel and Cristina Alvarez (NIU), 6-0
No. 2: Courtney Wild and Bethany Moore (BSU) def. Abigail Dekkinga and Evelyn Youel (NIU), 6-3
No. 3: Arantza De La Torre and Mary Malkin (NIU) unf. vs. Toni Ormond and Ashlyn Rang (BSU)

Singles
No. 1: Nelle Youel (NIU) def. Courtney Wild (BSU), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4
No. 2: Courtney Earnest (BSU) def. Cristina Alvarez (NIU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 3: Toni Ormond (BSU) def. Mary Malkin (NIU), 6-4, 7-5
No. 4: Arantza De La Torre (NIU) def. Rosalinda Calderon (BSU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 5: Ashlyn Rang (BSU) def. Evelyn Youel (NIU), 6-0, 2-6, 6-2
No. 6: Abigail Dekkinga (NIU) def. Bethany Moore (BSU), 6-1, 6-4


Toledo:

Rockets Senior Day Spoiled By Eagles

TOLEDO, OH - The Toledo women's tennis team was unable to secure a victory on senior day, dropping a competitive Mid-American Conference match to Eastern Michigan, 4-3 on Friday at Shadow Valley Tennis Club.  With the loss, the Rockets fall to 13-8 overall and 4-3 in conference action.

Western Michigan:

Broncos Defeat NIU, 4-3

DEKALB, Ill. – The Western Michigan women’s tennis team came back for an impressive win in their final road regular season match of the year, winning four of six singles matches against Northern Illinois as the Broncos defeated the Huskies 4-3 on Sunday afternoon. The Broncos improve to 14-8 overall on the season and are now 6-1 in Mid-American Conference play.

The win, coupled with Toledo’s loss to Eastern Michigan earlier this weekend, means the Broncos will finish no worse than second place in the conference. As such, the Broncos clinched a bye to the semifinal round of the MAC Tournament. WMU could still potentially earn a share of the conference regular season championship, but cannot earn the top seed in the bracket due to tiebreakers.

Tracy Kuhle tied the team match up a 1-all with a dominant win over Arantza De La Torre in the No. 4 singles match, winning 6-1, 6-1 to even up the team competition. Meika Ashby was there to tie it again two matches later, beating Cristina Alvarez 6-3, 6-0 in the No. 2 singles match to make it 2-2. Barbare Eristavi blew past Mary Malkin 6-2, 6-2 in the No. 3 singles match to make it 3-2, and Yuriko Ono clinched the team victory with a 6-3, 6-1 victory in the No. 6 match.

The doubles pairing of Eristavi and Ono improved to 17-5 on the season with their sixth straight doubles win by beating the duo of Alvarez and Dekkinga 7-5 in the No. 2 doubles match. Olivia Myers and Kuhle very nearly allowed the Broncos the chance to take the doubles point but were edged out by Malkin and Evelyn Youel in the No. 3 doubles match, falling 7-5 in a tiebreaker to lose 7-6 (5).

Singles
1. Nelle Youel (NIU) def. Olivia Myers (WMU) 6-0, 6-3
2. Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Cristina Alvarez (NIU) 6-3, 6-0
3. Barbare Eristavi (WMU) def. Mary Malkin (NIU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Tracy Kuhle (WMU) def. Arantza De La Torre (NIU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Evelyn Youel (NIU) def. Caroline Aleck (WMU) 6-4, 2-1, ret.
6. Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Abigail Dekkinga (NIU) 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 4,1,2,3,6,5

Doubles
1. Nelle Youel/Arantza De La Torre (NIU) def. Meika Ashby/Caroline Aleck (WMU) 6-3
2. Barbare Eristavi/Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Cristina Alvarez/Abigail Dekkinga (NIU) 7-5
3. Evelyn Youel/Mary Malkin (NIU) def. Olivia Myers/Tracy Kuhle (WMU) 7-6 (5)
Order of finish: 1,2,3