Ball State University
Northern Illinois University
Women’s Tennis Advances to 2-0 in Conference Play With Win Against NIU
March 21, 2025 | Women's Tennis
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State women's tennis entered its Friday-afternoon showdown against Northern Illinois on a seven-match home winning streak against the Huskies, a spurt dating back to 2012. The Cardinals once again defended their home courts against the Mid-American Conference rival, defeating the visitors 5-2 inside the Ball State Tennis Facility.
The red and white (8-4) not only extended its streak of success against Northern Illinois (14-4, 1-1 MAC) with the win, but they also moved their conference record to an unblemished 2-0 mark on the young campaign. Ball State has now won its first two MAC matches in four of the last five seasons.
The conference affair opened with dramatic doubles action. After Ball State's No. 2 pairing of Isabel Tanjuatco and Sara Shabaz quickly got off the court with a 6-1 victory, the Huskies and Cardinals battled on the remaining two courts deep into tiebreakers. The red and white's No. 1 doubles duo of Chloe Brown and Alana Bristow were the first pairing to find the winning end of their tiebreaker, directing the doubles point to the Cardinals.
Leading 1-0 after doubles action, Ball State cruised to a strong start to singles play by winning five first sets. Elena Malykh earned the squad its first singles point by registering a swift straight-set win on the top court. Tanjuatco quickly followed behind in the fifth slot by picking up a 6-3, 6-2 win, which put the Cardinals just one point away from the team victory.
Shabaz, coming off a fine outing in doubles, posted a valiant effort to secure the decisive point for Ball State—winning in straight frames. The Minnesota native displayed resilience in her opening set, as she battled back from a 2-5 hole in the set tiebreaker.
Ball State tacked on another point at the No. 2 spot, where Jemima Williams-Phillips earned a three-set win. Northern Illinois' pair of scores came at No. 6 singles, where Reagan Welch defeated Bristow in straight-sets and at No. 4 singles, where Lucia Yecora earned a three-set victory against Brown.
Ball State will conclude its weekend of action Sunday, when they are set to take on Eastern Michigan in a road MAC matchup. First serve between the Cardinals and Eagles is slated for 1 p.m. inside The Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Doubles
No. 1: Alana Bristow/Chloe Brown (Ball State) def. Nataly Miroslavova Ninova/Maria Dzemeshkevich (Northern Illinois), 7-6
No. 2: Sarah Shabaz/Isabel Tanjuatco (Ball State) def. Isabella Righi/Lucia Yecora (Northern Illinois), 6-1
No. 3: Ella Hazelbaker/Elena Malykh (Ball State) vs. Reagan Welch/Jenna Horne (Northern Illinois), 6-6 (unfinished)
Singles
No. 1: Elena Malykh (Ball State) def. Maria Dzemeshkevich (Northern Illinois), 6-4, 6-1
No. 2: Jemima Williams-Phillips (Ball State) def. Irmak Budak (Northern Illinois), 7-5, 2-6, 1-0(7)
No. 3: Sara Shabaz (Ball State) def. Nataly Miroslavova Ninova (Northern Illinois), 7-6(6), 6-2
No. 4: Lucia Yecora (Northern Illinois) def. Chloe Brown (Ball State), 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
No. 5: Isabel Tanjuatco (Ball State) def. Isabella Righi (Northern Illinois), 6-3, 6-2
No. 6: Reagan Welch (Northern Illinois) def. Alana Bristow (Ball State), 6-1, 7-6(5)
Players Mentioned
