HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky's men's and women's tennis will play a combined five matches in three days on the road, with both teams facing Horizon League foes UIC and IUPUI on Saturday and Sunday, March 31 and April 1, respectively. The women will play one more match to start the weekend, heading to former League opponent Valparaiso on Friday, March 30.
The Norse are coming off setbacks to Wright State in the opening week of Horizon League competition. The women's match featured a 1-2 punch with Margita Sunjic and Maria Koo winning in the top and second flights. Sunjic topped Karoline Haller in three sets, avenging her only League loss from a season ago.
Valpo has seen improvement from a season ago thanks to the addition of Clair Czerwonka and Jelena Vujanic at the top of the lineup. The duo has gone a combined 28-9 in singles action this season, with Czerwonka holding down the No. 1 singles spot while Vujanic has been performing well in the second spot. The two also team up for doubles, holding a 5-3 record in the top spot for the Crusaders.
The UIC women are 2-0 in Horizon League action after downing Oakland, 4-3, and Detroit Mercy, 6-1. Lejla Colic has moved into the No. 1 singles spot recently, posting a 3-3 record at the top of the lineup. She also pairs up with Georgie Sanders in the top doubles duo, as the pair has gone 6-1 in dual action while the No. 2 tandem of Rachel Le Comber and Melika LeBlanc has gone 7-3 this season. On the men's side, the Flames dropped their League opener to Detroit Mercy, 7-0 and are 3-9 on the year. Niko Wasilewicz is at the top of the lineup, but has posted a 2-8 mark in dual matches. Johan Hedstrom has picked up the most wins for the team, going 3-5 in the No. 2 slot for UIC.
IUPUI's women hold a 3-11 overall record and are 0-2 in Horizon League play with setbacks to Detroit Mercy, 5-2, and Oakland, 7-0. Valeriia Lavrenchuk had been playing in the top spot with a 5-6 record, but did not appear the past weekend as Krystal Grubb slid into the No. 1 singles spot and took a pair of losses against League opponents. Her absence also took out the top doubles tandem of Lavrenchuk and Grubb, who have gone 9-3 this season. The Jaguar men also dropped their League opener to Detroit Mercy, 6-1, and are coming off a 6-1 setback to No. 26 Notre Dame. Ethan Mardanus-Budio was the lone Jaguar to score a point against the nationally-ranked Fighting Irish, which was his first victory in the No. 4 spot for IUPUI. The doubles competition is a relative unknown, as the Jaguars have tried 21 different combinations this year and have seen tandems appear in all three spots in the doubles lineup.
For more information on NKU men's and women's tennis program, follow the team on Twitter @NKUNorseTennis or at facebook.com/nkunorsetennis.
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