ROCHESTER, Mich. – Women's tennis hits the road for the final time in the regular season, taking on fellow Horizon League opponents IU Indianapolis on Friday, April 3, and Northern Kentucky on Saturday, April 4.

Oakland (5-8, 1-0 HL) enters the weekend on a two-match win streak after defeating Wayne State (3-5, 1-1 GLIAC), 5-2, at the Duchene Athletic Facility on March 21. The Golden Grizzlies claimed the doubles point with wins on the No. 2 and No. 3 courts, as the pairs of sophomore Nisa Bulut/freshman Oliwia Klimas and senior Tara Montreuil/sophomore Martyna Piechowicz each earned 6-2 victories.

In singles play, four Golden Grizzlies posted wins to seal the team victory. Montreuil (6-1, 6-2), Klimas (6-3, 6-1), Bulut (6-4, 3-6, 6-4), and junior Emilia Jarvinen (5-4 WR) all picked up singles points. With the result, Oakland snapped its skid against the Warriors, having dropped the previous five meetings.

Last season, Oakland hosted both IU Indianapolis and Northern Kentucky, recording 5-2 wins over both programs.

SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
IU Indianapolis (5-3, 1-0 HL) recently hosted Northern Kentucky at the West Indy Racquet Club, earning a narrow 4-3 victory over the Norse. The Jaguars claimed the doubles point with wins on the No. 1 and No. 3 courts, then took three singles matches to clinch the overall win and move to 1-0 in Horizon League play.

Earlier this season, Oakland and IU Indy met at the Horizon League Individual Championships, where the programs squared off in three singles matches and one doubles match. The Black and Gold went 3-0 in singles and 1-0 in doubles against the Jaguars.

Although Oakland dropped the doubles point against the Jaguars last season, all five current returners swept their singles matches in straight sets. Jarvinen (6-1, 6-0), junior Edie Hammond (6-2, 6-3), and Piechowicz (6-2, 6-3) did not allow their opponents more than three games in a set, while Bulut (6-0, 6-4) and Montreuil (6-4, 6-2) held their opponents to four games or fewer in each set.

The Golden Grizzlies currently hold a 16-9 advantage in the all-time series with IU Indianapolis, and have won the last nine meetings. The first matchup between the two programs came in 1998, when Oakland recorded a 9-0 victory. The teams played regularly from 1998 to 2013, then did not face each other again until 2018. They have appeared on each other's schedules every season since, excluding 2020 due to COVID-19.

SCOUTING THE NORSE
Northern Kentucky (2-7, 0-1 HL) has dropped its last three matches, including its Horizon League opener to IU Indianapolis. The Norse's last win came on February 21, a 5-2 road victory at Southern Indiana.

Northern Kentucky did not participate in this season's Horizon League Individual Championships, only participating in two invitationals during the fall season.

In last season's matchup, the Golden Grizzlies earned the doubles point with wins from Jarvinen and Hammond on the No. 2 court, and from Piechowicz and her partner on the No. 1 court. Jarvinen (6-3, 6-4), Bulut (7-5, 6-3), and Piechowicz (6-3, 3-6, 6-2) all recorded singles victories to clinch the team win.

Overall, Northern Kentucky holds a 6-4 edge in the all-time series with Oakland. The programs first met in 2016, and the matchups have been largely even, with neither team owning a win streak longer than two matches. On the road, the Golden Grizzlies are 1-4 against the Norse and will look to improve that mark when they travel to the Five Seasons Sports Club.

Results from both matches will be posted on goldengrizzlies.com once completed.

How to Follow Oakland Women's Tennis: For complete information on Oakland Women's Tennis, follow the team on Instagram at @oaklandtennis_ and on X at @OaklandWTennis.