HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky tennis will close out the regular season this weekend against Detroit Mercy and Oakland on Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22, respectively. The women will play both days at 11 a.m., while the men will only compete against the Titans with first serve scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
The Norse women are coming off a pair of setbacks to Horizon League frontrunners Youngstown State and Cleveland State. Against the Penguins,
Margita Sunjic and
Katja Dijanezevic picked up victories, while
Maria Koo had NKU's lone point against the Vikings. The men also dropped a pair of matches at YSU and CSU, with Jorge Rodriguez Agudo securing a point at Youngstown State.
Detroit Mercy's women's squad is still scrambling for a spot in the Horizon League Championship, sitting at 2-5 in the League. Saturday's match carries substantial postseason implications for both squads, because if the Titans take the contest and the Norse drop a decision to Oakland, Detroit Mercy will hold the head-to-head advantage for the No. 6 seed into the tournament. Iris Thioux holds down the top spot in the Titans' lineup with a 10-12 record, while Jasmine Apawti has gone 5-2 in the Horizon League in No. 2 singles. On the men's side, the Titans sit at 4-1 in League competition, the only loss being a 4-3 setback at Green Bay. Both Gvidas Motuzas and Alvaro Arce hold unblemished records against League opposition out of the No. 5 and 6 singles spots.
Oakland has gone 4-2 in the Horizon League this season, dropping its weekend against Youngstown State and Cleveland State earlier this month. The Golden Grizzlies' strength lies at the top of the lineup, with Darya Maltseva going 5-2 in the top flight while Dasha Artamonova holds a 6-1 mark in the No. 2 singles spot. Oakland also features strong doubles play from Maltseva and Alexandra Whall, who have fallen just once in Horizon competition in the No. 2 doubles spot and are on a six-match winning streak since the setback.
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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