DEKALB, Ill.----  Taking on its second NCAA I opponent of the season. the University of St. Francis women's tennis team suffered a 7-0 loss at the hands of Northern Illinois University on Saturday evening at Chick Evans Field House. 
 

Northern Illinois, which dropped a 4-3 decision to Valparaiso University earlier in the day, gained the match's first point after claiming all three doubles victories. 
 

Nikkie Christiansen (JR/Rockford, Ill.) was the highlight in singles play as she gained an opening-set 6-2 victory against Paula Veyhle in the No.2 slot. The set victory was Christiansen's second of the season. Despite the early advantage, she dropped the next two sets 6-2, 6-2 to give Veyhle the win.  
 

Yashleen Kheterpal (SR/Bhilai, India) also pushed her opponent to the limit at No.5 singles. She took Josefina Trella to an opening-set tie-breaker. Kheterpal lost the tie-breaker 7-5 and ultimately the match as she fell 6-0 in the following set.  
 

Denisse Lizano (SO/Quito, Ecuador) won a total of seven games between her two sets at No.3 singles. Lizano dropped a 6-3, 6-4 decision.
 

The other three singles matches saw Maria Kuzminskaya (SR/Saint Petersburg, Russia), Kiana Sikich (FR/Mokena, Ill.), and Alyssa Larsen (SR/Morris, Ill.) all fall in the minimum two sets.  
 

With the loss, the Saints drop to 0-3 on the season. USF returns to action on March 20 when it will begin Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference action against Holy Cross College. The opening serve is scheduled for 5 pm.