March 7, 2010

Final Results

GALESBURG, Ill. - The Northern Illinois women's tennis team recorded five straight-set wins in singles play, and captured the decisive doubles point, running its winning streak to a season-high six matches with a 6-1 victory over host Western Illinois Saturday.

"We showed a lot of toughness in this match," said NIU head coach Ryun Ferrell. "I thought Katie Friedlund really set the tone for us, beating a really good player in Stephanie Baumer at No. 1. Emily Rogers also played a really tough match.

"We continue to tell our players that for us to be successful in conference play; we've got to out-work our opponents. They are all buying in, and we're having a lot of fun. Things do not get any easier for us going forward though; Southern Illinois, our next opponent, is a great team, and we all know how tough the MAC is going to be. We've got to stay focused and build on this momentum we have on our side right now."

In doubles play, Brooke Forsberg and Emily Rogers teamed at No. 1 to post an 8-4 win over the Leathernecks' Stephanie Baumer and Kate Kennedy. At No. 2 doubles, Kathryn Friedlund and Sara McLaughlin recorded an 8-1 victory over Yana Meinert and Marcela Brandao, followed by a convincing 8-1 win by Stephanie Okuma and Kelly Phillips over WIU's Jill Furlong and Amy Unzicker.

Friedlund posted a 6-4, 6-3 win over Baumer at No. 1 singles, followed by Rogers' straight-set (6-3, 6-4) victory over Brandao at second singles. Freshman Brittni Fausett recorded a convincing 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 3 slot, followed by a 6-2, 6-0 win by McLaughlin at fourth singles. At No. 6, Okuma defeated Western Illinois' Claire Griffin, 6-2, 6-0.

Northern Illinois will look to record its seventh-straight win on March 20, when the Huskies travel to Carbondale, Ill., to take on host Southern Illinois.