SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The South Dakota tennis team (3-4) dropped a heartbreaker 4-3 match to Northern Illinois (9-2) Friday morning inside the Huether Family Match Pointe in a decision that came down to the final singles match of the day.
 
In the doubles competition, it was the Coyotes who took the point behind wins from No. 2 and No. 3.
 
"We knew this would be a close hard-fought match and it sure was.  We played great doubles on every court to go up 1-0," commented head coach Brett Barnett on the doubles matches. "I love how all three teams came to play, and we were able to dictate."  
 
Grace Chadick and Bea Havlickova took a 6-2 decision at No. 2, followed by a 6-4 decision from Selena Bird and Anna Medvyedyeva at No. 3. Sorcha Caves and Amanda de Oliveira sat tied at 4-4 and was unfinished.
 
Doubles Results:

1. Sorcha Caves / Amanda de Oliveira (USD) unfinished Ninova Nataly / Maria Dzemeshkevich (NIU): 4-4
2. Grace Chadick / Bea Havlickova (USD) def. Isabella Righi / Lucia Yecora (NIU): 6-2
3. Selena Bird / Anna Medvyedyeva (USD) def. Reagan Welch / Jenna Horne (NIU): 6-4

Order of finish: 2, 3, (1 UF)
 
Singles Rundown:
 
Northern Illinois (9-2) would tally four singles wins to secure the 4-3 match win, coming down to the final court at No. 3.
 
"Singles we just didn't have execute well enough and got down on too many courts. Grace and Bea stepped up well and got us to three points. Kat and Sorcha did a great job fighting to the end and left it all out there," commented Barnett on singles play. "We need to do a better job of all believing and just start embracing the moment and pressure."
 
Northern Illinois evened the match at 1-1 with a win at No. 4 in straight sets.
 
Havlickova (4-3) picked up her fourth win of the season and would give the Yotes a 2-1 advantage in the second singles match to finish on the day with a 6-3, 6-4 win over NIU's Irmak Budak.
 
The two teams, in order of finish, would trade the next two points to put South Dakota up 3-2 with two singles matches remaining. In just the second singles win of the day, Chadick (5-2, 4-1 at No. 5) picked up her fifth win of the season in a 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 5 over NIU's Theodora Kousiou. Chadick now carries the team's longest win streak, winning her last two matches.
 
Tied at 3-3 with one singles match to play, the match came down to Court 2 at Huether Match Pointe. At No. 3 singles, Caves battled NIU's Nataly Nonova. The first game of the match went to tie break that saw Nonova prevail 7-5, despite Caves battling back to make it 4-4 after trailing 4-1 in the tie break.
 
Of note, in No. 6 singles Curcic, in just her third singles match of the season, battled back from down 5-1 in the second set and would go on to force a tiebreak but would fall, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).
 
Singles Results:

1. Bea Havlickova (USD) def. Irmak Budak (NIU): 6-3, 6-4
2. Maria Dzemeshkevich (NIU) def. Amanda de Oliveira (USD): 6-4, 6-1
3. Nataly Nonova (NIU) def. Sorcha Caves (USD): 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
4. Lucia Yecora (NIU) def. Selena Bird (USD): 6-3, 6-2
5. Grace Chadick (USD) def. Theodora Kousiou (NIU): 6-4, 7-5
6. Isabella Righi (NIU) def. Katarina Curcic (USD): 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)

Order of finish: 4, 1, 2, 5, 6, 3
 
UP NEXT: South Dakota will travel down to Ames, Iowa on Sunday (Feb. 22) to face the Cyclones of Iowa State in a match that was rescheduled from last week.