April 18, 2007

DeKalb, Ill. - NIU (4-10, 0-6) will hit the road for its last to regular season Mid-American Conference matches before the conference championships. They will go up against Buffalo (14-2, 6-1) on Friday, April 20 at 1pm and the will face Akron (9-11, 0-7) on Saturday, April 21 also at 1pm.

Dealin' Dueces
The number three doubles combo of Dora Delgadillo and Jenny Edner has produced six wins in a row. They are 8-4 in that third doubles spot and 13-7 overall. They have been dominant as of late and are peaking at the right time as they head into the MAC championships. Huskies head coach Ryun Ferrell has taken a lot of pride out of watching Delgadillo and Edner storm the court.

"I'm very proud of what we're able to accomplish with [Dora Delgadillo and Jenny Edner,]" Ferrell said. "I love watching them play. They serve down the middle, they look to move, and put the ball away quick. When they do get in trouble they are grinders and keep the ball in play. It's a great thing."

Just About There
NIU has really played well over the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, the results don't show it, but they have improved with each passing week. Now, they just need to take it one step further.

"We've been playing really well week-by-week," said Ferrell. "We're getting better and better. So, hopefully we take another step in this process. I view that it's more up to us than anything else. I think if we execute and do what we can we will win. We just need to execute, get the job done, keep emotion out of it, and we will be fine."

Battling Bulls
Buffalo has stormed through the MAC, only losing to the one team who has not lost a MAC match this year, Western Michigan. The Bulls have won their last three matches and are very skilled, but the Huskies feel that they can play with Buffalo.

"[Buffalo's] highly talented," Ferrell said. "I think we can hang with them. The problem is that we're going to have to play good tennis to beat them."

Akron Alike
The Zips, like the Huskies, hired a new coach, Jeffrey Wyshner, coming into this season. Both Ferrell and Wyshner have been trying their hardest in their first season at new schools. Akron has lost seven matches in a row and will be a nice match-up for NIU.

"[Akron] has a new coach, like us," commented Ferrell. "It's a very similar situation because both he and I were hired late. He's trying to do the best job he can. It's the same with me. He's a good guy, a good coach, and does a good job. It will be a good match."

-NIU