Thursday Men’s Tennis results
Northern Illinois 4, Western Michigan 3
Ball State 4, UIC 3
Reap courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments
Gaztambide Arrastia Clinches Match Against Western Michigan; NIU's First Win Over NIU Since 2015 | Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team moved to 2-0 in conference play with a 4-3 win over Western Michigan. A clinch from
Iker Gaztambide Arrastia secured the Huskies' first win over the Broncos since the 2015 dual season.
With the match knotted at 3-3, Gaztambide Arrastia (Pamplona, Spain / Jesuitas) closed the door on Western Michigan with a 6-4, 7-5 victory at No. 1 singles over 2025 All-MAC select Ashton Adesoro.
The Broncos narrowly claimed the doubles point to give Western Michigan the early advantage with wins at No. 1 and No. 3.
Iker Dellien Velasco /
Chiao Bo Suo Nan were tied at 5-5 when Western Michigan claimed the point.
Thursday afternoon's match was a battle of momentum, with NIU walking away in favor.
Lorenzo Leti Messina secured the first singles point with a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 3, followed by
Nikola Puntaric downed Tim Riedel 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2.
With NIU holding a 2-1 lead, Western Michigan responded by taking the next two courts to reclaim the lead. The Huskies answered with their backs against the wall, winning the final two matches.
Pratyaksh LNU defeated Jackson Davison 6-4, 6-4 at No. 6, paving the way for Gaztambide Arrastia to clinch the match.
NIU now travels to Ball State, taking on the Cardinals Saturday at 12 p.m. CT.
Ball State Digs Deep for Gritty Victory Over UIC | Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind. – In a match that defined "gritty," the Ball State men's tennis team (7-7, 2-1 MAC) opened its five-match homestand with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) on Thursday afternoon at the First Serve Tennis Courts.
The Cardinals, coming off a tough road split to open conference play, relied on their depth and resilience to overcome the Flames in a contest that came down to the final court.
The afternoon began with a high-stakes doubles session. After splitting matches on courts one and two, the opening point rested on the No. 3 position. The brothers tandem of Drew and
Nolan Hayward showed championship composure, securing a critical 7-5 win to give Ball State a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Despite a tense battle for the doubles point, Ball State stayed composed as the match came down to
Jacks Lancaster at the top of the lineup. After dropping his opening set to Artem Alekseychuk, the senior roared back to take the next two 7-5, 6-4, clinching the win for the Cardinals. The victory was bolstered by
Drew Hayward, who outlasted his opponent in a three-set thriller at the No. 3 spot, and
Broc Fletcher, who secured a straight-sets win on court six.
Ball State men's tennis continues its homestand this Saturday, March 14, 2026, hosting Northern Illinois at 1:00 PM ET. Weather permitting, the match will take place at the Foster Adams Family Tennis Complex and Bill Richards Tennis Courts
