Huskies Kick Off Spring Season at the Thrilling Northwestern Invitational

DeKALB, Ill. – The women’s tennis squad from Northern Illinois University commences its 2025 spring season this upcoming weekend (January 10-12) at the Northwestern Invitational, where the Huskies will face off against Colorado, Notre Dame, and Northwestern at the Combe Tennis Center in Evanston.
 
The competition adopts a hidden dual format, recognizing only individual results and foregoing team scores. The Huskies will face Colorado on Friday, January 10 at 11 a.m., challenge Notre Dame on Saturday, January 11 at 3:30 p.m., and compete against Northwestern on Sunday, January 12 at 1:30 p.m.
 
“There aren’t many teams like us that can go and compete against three Top 50 squads in a single weekend,” stated NIU head coach Eric Burns, who is entering his sixth season steering the Huskie program in 2024-25. “With no team scores in this event, this is an excellent chance to gain valuable experience and compete at a high standard. We could remain in DeKalb and practice, or we could challenge ourselves, perform well, build some confidence, and prepare for the dual match season.”
 
NIU secured a No. 4 ranking in the Preseason Poll of the Mid-American Conference after concluding in fifth place in the league, only one position shy of qualifying for the four-team MAC Tournament last year.
Miami claimed the top position in the poll conducted among MAC women’s tennis coaches with 48 points, followed by Toledo (38), Eastern Michigan (35), and NIU (30).
 
“We’re thrilled to be selected in the top four as that hasn’t occurred in quite some time,” Burns remarked. “However, this doesn’t guarantee anything because you still need to put in the effort and achieve results. The MAC is incredibly competitive. The seventh-place team has the capability to defeat the top team. We have been striving hard to earn that respect for a while here, so it was gratifying to see, but the work must continue.”
 
NIU posted a record of 16-10 last spring, which included a 10-3 performance at home in the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House during head coach Eric Burns‘ fifth season in charge of the program.
 
Senior Reagan Welch and junior Nataly Ninova have been appointed as team captains, while senior Erika Dimitriev, who has participated in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions throughout her career, is already among NIU’s career Top 10 for singles and doubles victories with 56 and 60, respectively. Welch is close behind Dimitriev, nearing the Top 10 in singles wins with 55.
The University’s Houston transfer Maria Dzemeshkevich stands out among the newcomers as she has played three seasons in the top two singles positions for the Cougars.
 
The Northwestern Invitational marks the concluding tournament before the Huskies commence their 2025 dual match season on Friday, January 17 against Lindenwood in O’Fallon, Illinois. The first home dual is scheduled for Saturday, January 25th, featuring matches against Northern Iowa and Eastern Illinois.
 
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