Feb. 12, 2012

ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Northern Illinois women's tennis team continued its fantastic start to the season Sunday by defeating Eastern Illinois 6-1 at the Boylan Tennis Center. The 5-2 mark by the Huskies is the best start for the team in nearly a decade.

"We battled well today," said NIU Head Coach Ryun Ferrell. "We just went to work. It was nothing fancy. Just good ol' fashioned, blue collar, nose-to-the-grind stone work. It was a nice effort."

While the win wasn't fancy, the play of freshman sensation Mary Malkin (Tel Aviv, Isreal/Alliance) has been to start the spring season. Malkin is off to a 7-0 start after defeating Eastern's Kristen Laird, 6-0, 6-4, and hasn't dropped a set since the Huskie's first match against Drake.

Grinding out her fourth win of the year was senior Sara McGlaughlin (Moline, Ill./Moline), who took down the Panther's Merritt Whitley, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. Freshmen Nelle Youel (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) and Arantza De La Torre (San Luis Potosi, Mexico/Motolinia) both earned victories over Janelle Prisner and Annie Egan, respectively. The wins were Youel's fifth and De La Torre's fourth on the season.

Also picking up a singles victory on Sunday was sophomore Haley Dekkinga (Allegan, Mich./Allegan) after squeaking by EIU's Amanda Dibbs by a score of 7-6, 6-5. The victory marked Dekkinga's fifth of the year.

The doubles play of the Huskies continued their amazing start while posting their third straight match without losing a set. The tandem of McLaughlin and Emily Rogers (Rochester, Minn./Century) took down the Panther's team of Whitley/Prisner, 8-2.

Earning their third straight win of the season, the duo of Youel/De La Torre defeated their Eastern Illinois counterpart of Dibbs/Laird by a mark of 8-4. Also winning their third match in a row were partners Stephanie McDonald (Harare, Zimbabwe/St. Anne's Diocesan College) and Dekkinga. They won over Kim/Egan 8-2 to cap the Huskie victory.

The Huskies make their next appearance on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 1:00 p.m. CT in Carbondale, Ill., against Arkansas State. They will match-up with the Salukis of Southern Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 10:00 a.m.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS (5-2) DEF. EASTERN ILLINOIS (1-3), 6-1
FEBRUARY 12, 2012 | BOYLAN TENNIS CENTER

DOUBLES
1. McLaughlin/Rogers (NIU) def. Whitley/Prisner (EIU), 8-2
2. Youel/De La Torre (NIU) def. Dibbs/Laird (EIU), 8-4
3. Dekkinga/McDonald (NIU) def. Kim/Egan (EIU), 8-2

SINGLES
1. Sara McLaughlin (NIU) def. Merritt Whitley (EIU), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
2. Nelle Youel (NIU) def. Janelle Prisner (EIU), 6-2, 6-3
3. Jennifer Kim (EIU) def. Emily Rogers (NIU), 6-3, 6-1
4. Haley Dekkinga (NIU) def. Amanda Dibbs (EIU), 7-6, 6-5
5. Mary Malkin (NIU) def. Kristen Laird (EIU), 6-0, 6-4
6. Arantza De La Torre (NIU) def. Annie Egan (EIU), 6-1, 6-1