Tennis Drops Close Match at Valparaiso, 4-3

VALPARAISO, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University tennis team dropped a close, 4-3, decision at Valparaiso University Sunday, Feb. 18, inside The Courts of NWI in Valparaiso, Ind. The Eagles (5-4) won three consecutive singles matches to tie the score but were unable to secure the victory as the Beacons (7-4) took the dual with a win at No. 5 singles.

How It Happened
The dual opened with the hosts taking an early 1-0 lead as the Beacons won the doubles point thanks to wins at No. 2 and No. 3. Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) led in their match at No. 1 doubles, 5-4, but the bout when unfinished as the Beacons had secured the point.

In singles play, Valpo extended its lead to 3-0 with straight set wins at both No. 2 and No. 6. Despite the deficit, the Eagles bounced back and won the next three points. Ksyusha Saenko (Voronezh, Russia/Gymnasium 2) got things started with her 7-6(3), 6-1 win at No. 3 before Linda Eloundou (Yaounde, Cameroon/Augustine Meyou/New Mexico Military Institute) won her team-leading 16th singles match with a 6-4, 6-1 decision at No. 4. Shved followed with her win at No. 1 as she bounced back from losing the first set to take a 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory. The deciding match was a marathon as Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) came up just shy as she fell to Sydney Stone, 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(0).

Notes
›› Eastern fell to 5-4 overall while Valparaiso improved to 7-4.
›› The all-time series is now tied at 1-1 following the loss. The Eagles won the only previous meeting, 6-1, Feb. 13, 2022, at Valpo.
›› The 4-3 score marked the 199th time a match has been decided by one point in program history. The Eagles are now 106-93 all-time in one-point matches and 60-48 when those matches are played on the road.
›› Linda Eloundou pushed her team-leading wins total to 16 in singles play with freshman Ksyusha Saenko just behind her at 15.

Up Next
The Eagles return to the road for a pair of matches in the Palmetto State, starting Tuesday, Feb. 27, in Orangeburg, S.C., against the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University at 1 p.m. The spring break trip wraps up Thursday, Feb. 29, with a 1 p.m. match in Charleston, S.C., against the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern University.

Follow Along
For all things EMU Tennis, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMUEaglesTennis on X (formerly Twitter) and EMU_Tennis on Instagram.

Valparaiso 4, Eastern Michigan 3
Feb. 18 • The Courts of NWI • Valparaiso, Ind.
SINGLES
#1: Daniella Shved (E) def. Moira Silva, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
#2: Olivia Czerwonka (V) def. Andrea Quiroz, 6-2, 6-2
#3: Ksyusha Saenko (E) def. Jolene Fernandes, 7-6(3), 6-1
#4: Linda Eloundou (E) def. Mia Bertino, 6-4, 6-1
#5: Sydney Stone (V) def. Sabina Brichackova, 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(0)
#6: Elizabeth Sobieski (V) def. Regina Mendez, 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: 2, 6, 3, 4, 1, 5

DOUBLES
#1: Daniella Shved / Prerna Vichare (EM) led Olivia Czerwonka, 5-4, unfinished
#2: Elizabeth Sobieski / Sydney Stone (V) def. Sabina Brichackova / Ksyusha Saenko, 6-4
#3: Mia Bertino / Jolene Fernandes (V) def. Linda Eloundou / Andrea Quiroz, 6-0
Order of finish: 3, 2
EMU 5-4, VU 7-4

Next Event

Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Sabina Brichackova

Linda Eloundou

Regina Mendez Carreño

Andrea Quiroz

Kseniia Saenko

Daniella Shved

Prerna Vichare