TTU’s top of the lineup excels in narrow defeat to Northern Illinois

By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator

DES MOINES, Iowa – A packed punch at the top of the Tennessee Tech tennis team's lineup was ultimately not enough in a neutral site meeting with Northern Illinois. The Golden Eagles checked the win column in each of the top three singles matchups, but found themselves on the wrong side of a barnburner with the Huskies (1-1), falling 4-3.  

For the second-straight day, No. 28 Eduardo Mena secured a win in the No. 1 singles battle, knocking off Bor Schweiger, 6-0, 6-1, to move to 2-1 this spring. Jorge Alfonzo followed suit with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Eric Marbach in the No. 2 slot, and Wenceslao Albin continued the Golden Eagle trend of success at the top with a 6-4, 7-6 win against Georg Lundkvist in the No. 3 position.

Albin's triumph tied the overall match at 3-3, before Northern Illinois officially crossed the finish line with a Tom Hjertonsson 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 nod over Gonzalo Garcia in the No. 5 showdown.

The Huskies captured two other singles points over the Golden Eagles (0-3) with wins in the No. 4 and No. 6 matchups. Kristopher Ortega took down Rikue Kubota, 6-3, 6-0, in the No. 4 affair, while Victor Spolidorio powered past Arthur Justo, 6-2, 7-5, in the No. 6 slot.

NIU seized the doubles point, collecting wins in the top-two spots. The No. 1 tandem of Eric Marbach and Kristopher Ortega slipped past Eduardo Mena and Riku Kubota, 7-6, and Georg Lundkvist and Bor Schweiger Muzar defeated Jorge Alfonzo and Gonzalo Garcia, 6-0, in the No. 2 position.

The No.3 doubles battle pitting NIU's Victor Spolidorio and Tom Hjertonsson and TTU's Marc Mila and Wenceslao Albin did not finish with the score deadlocked at 6-6.

Tech will put the finishing touches in its three-match road swing in Des Moines with a Sunday morning tilt with Western Michigan. First serve from Roger Knapp Tennis Center will begin at 10 a.m. CT.