DEKALB, Ill. – The Cleveland State women's tennis team picked up their first victory of the 2016 spring season Saturday afternoon, earning a 4-3 victory at Northern Illinois. Cleveland State is now 1-3 on the season.
"This was a great win for the team today, we were able to come out strong and then carry that momentum through to the very end of singles play," associate head coach Frank Polito said. "Once again we played some great doubles and really fought to earn that early point and advantage. Ola and Isabella then set the tone for the dramatic finish after picking up singles wins, and Mathilde was able to play with poise and positive energy to pick up her singles win and clinch the match for us. This was a great team effort for us today, and hopefully we can carry this momentum into tomorrow's match."
The Vikings were able to get on the board early, picking up the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. At the No. 2 spot, Victoria Bensimon and Morgan Nix earned a 6-2 win, while Princess Gbadamosi and Mathilde Orange posted a 6-3 victory at No. 3 doubles.
After Northern Illinois evened the match with a win at No. 6 singles, the Vikings were able to regain a 3-1 lead picking up wins at No. 4 and No. 5 singles. Aleksandra Golawska was the first Viking to pick up a singles win today, earning a 6-2, 6-2 victory at No. 5 singles, while Isabella Spindler cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles.
The Huskies were then able to even the score once again at 3-3 following wins at the top of the singles lineup and the No. 3 spot, leaving the deciding point down to No. 2 singles between Cleveland State's Orange and Northern Illinois' Cristina Alvarez.
After dropping the first set, 5-7, Orange was able to pick up an easy 6-1 win in the second set, and then battled for a 7-6 (4) win in the third and final set, to clinch the match for the Vikings. With the win, Orange is now just four wins shy of becoming the 12th Viking all-time to record 50 career singles wins.
Up next for the Vikings will be a 12:00 p.m. contest at Butler tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, February 7).
Cleveland State 4, Northern Illinois 3
Doubles:
1. Osabuohein/Alvarez (NIU) def. Spindler/Golawska (CSU), 6-3
2. Bensimon/Nix (CSU) def. Dekkinga/Youel (NIU), 6-2
3. Gbadamosi/Orange (CSU) def. Montgomerie/Erasmus (NIU), 6-3
Singles:
1. Adey Osabuohein (NIU) def. Princess Gbadamosi (CSU), 7-5, 6-1
2. Mathilde Orange (CSU) def. Cristina Alvarez (NIU), 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (4)
3. Michelle Erasmus (NIU) def. Victoria Bensimon (CSU), 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
4. Isabella Spindler (CSU) def. Abigail Dekkinga (NIU), 6-1, 6-2
5. Aleksandra Golawska (CSU) def. Meghan Montgomerie (NIU), 6-2, 6-2
6. Evelyn Youel (NIU) def. Morgan Nix (CSU), 6-1, 6-1
