April 26, 2007

Toledo, Ohio - The (8)Huskies beat (9)Akron, 4-0, for the second time in as many weeks to advance to Day Two of the MAC Championships.

Similar to last week's match, NIU got the doubles point by getting wins from the number two and three spots. Lilian Asuaje and Nao Umemura, at the number two slot, defeated Jenna Larson and Lindsey Berry, 8-3. Then, at the third slot, Dora Delgadillo and Jenny Edner beat Aude Percherin and Alyssa Carlson, 8-2.

With the doubles point in hand, the Huskies came out firing in singles play. They won every match and in the two matches that were not completed NIU was winning or tied. Edner got things started with a dominating performance. She took down Larson in straight-sets, 6-0, 6-0, at the second spot. Umemura also had a similar performance, winning her match against Amy Sherlock, 6-2, 6-1, at the third spot. Delgadillo followed suit with a victory over Carlson, 6-2, 6-1, at the fifth slot to give the Huskies their final point and the win.

NIU head coach Ryun Ferrell was very impressed by his team's performance and how they didn't give Akron any slack.

"[Today] was some of the best tennis I have seen us play, yet," Ferrell commented. "We looked solid. We got on top of them and smothered them, like a blanket. [The girls] all did their job. They stayed focused with it and they didn't back off, which I though was great."

The eighth-seeded Huskies will now face the number one-seed, Western Michigan, tomorrow at 10am.

"We're going have to play well to beat [Western Michigan], which I think we can do," said Ferrell. "The big thing we have to do is realize that they are a good team. They are going to hit good shots. They are going to hit big-time shots from time to time. We just have to let them do it, not give them anything for free, and I think we will be fine."

Results

Doubles

1-Brooks/Forsberg (NIU) vs. Gombera/Sherlock (UA) 4-5 (DNF)

2-Umemura/Asuaje (NIU) def. Larson/Berry (UA) 8-3

3-Delgadillo/Edner (NIU) def. Aude Percherin/Carlson (UA) 8-2

Singles

1-Lilian Asuaje (NIU) vs. Tanya Gombera (UA) 6-3 (DNF)

2-Jenny Edner (NIU) def. Jenna Larson (UA) 6-0, 6-0

3-Nao Umemura (NIU) def. Amy Sherlock (UA) 6-2, 6-1

4-Brooke Forsberg (NIU) vs. Lindsey Berry (UA) 6-6 (DNF)

5-Dora Delgadillo (NIU) def. Alyssa Carlson (UA) 6-2, 6-1

6-Megan Brooks (NIU) vs. Laura Hemlepp (UA) 6-3, 1-0 (DNF)