Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 29
Ypsilanti, Mich.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
6
vs
1
Northern Illinois
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Tennis Scores 6-1 Home Win over Northern Illinois
3/29/2024 5:13:00 PM | Tennis
Eagles remain undefeated at home with their eighth victory of the season
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – It was 'Home Sweet Home' for the Eastern Michigan University tennis team once again as the Eagles put forth an outstanding effort to claim a 6-1 Mid-American Conference win over visiting Northern Illinois University Friday, March 29, inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. The Eagles (8-8, 2-2 MAC), who are now 8-0 at home in 2024, claimed the doubles point in short order before winning the first five singles matches to hand the Huskies (12-8, 1-3 MAC) the defeat.
Quoting Kucera
"(I am) so proud of this team," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said following the victory. "We've talked a lot this season about discipline and that's what put us over the top today. We brought the energy in the doubles point, which was a great bounce back from Sunday (loss at Ball State). Today, we were aggressive, flying around, and attacking them with our movement. In singles we were incredibly poised. It took a lot of composure, but we stayed true to ourselves. That's the winning formula: discipline in who we are and what we do. I couldn't be prouder of them. It was a complete team victory."
How It Happened
The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead as they claimed the doubles point for the third time in four MAC matches and the second time at home in conference play. The No. 1 team of Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) were the first to finish as they won, 6-2, before the No. 3 duo of Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) and Ksyusha Saenko (Voronezh, Russia/Gymnasium 2) tallied an identical 6-2 victory to clinch the point. The No. 2 team of Linda Eloundou (Yaounde, Cameroon/Augustine Meyou/New Mexico Military Institute) and Andrea Quiroz (Lima, Peru/La Molina 1278/Alcorn State) trailed, 4-3, when their match was abandoned as the doubles point had been clinched.
In singles action, the solid play from the Eagles continued with all six players battling through to the end. Quiroz was the first victor as she claimed a hard-fought win at No. 3, 7-6(3), 6-4, before Brichackova followed with her 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 6. Needing just one more point to clinch the team victory, the Eagles received just that as Vichare sliced her way to a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2. Shved followed with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win at No. 1 before Eloundou closed out the win at No. 5, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. The Huskies scored their lone point with a three-set win at No. 4.
Notes
›› Eastern climbed to 8-8 overall and 2-2 in MAC play while Northern Illinois dropped to 12-8 overall and 1-3 in the MAC.
›› At 2-2 in league play, the Eagles are one of three teams tied for the top spot in the MAC West as Eastern, Western Michigan, and Ball State all hold 2-2 records with NIU in fourth at 1-3.
›› The Eagles are 34-11 all-time against the Huskies and have won two consecutive matches after dropping five in a row. The 6-1 score marks the 22nd time Eastern has secured at least six points when defeating NIU.
›› Eastern is now 17-4 when hosting NIU in Ypsilanti with the win snapping a four-match skid that included 4-3 losses in the last two home meetings (April 7, 2023, and April 15, 2022). The last time EMU defeated NIU in Ypsilanti was a 5-2 decision April 5, 2015.
›› The Eagles won the doubles point for the seventh time this year and the sixth time at home after winning four times total in 2022-23. In MAC play, EMU has won the doubles point three times, including at Miami (March 17) and at home to Ball State (March 22).
›› Prerna Vichare clinched the team win for EMU for the second time this season after doing so against visiting Hilldale, Jan. 27.
›› Sabina Brichackova, playing with Ksyusha Saenko, and Prerna Vichare, playing with Daniella Shved, each won the 40th time in doubles play during the EMU career. Brichackova is now the only player on the team with 40+ career wins in both singles and doubles play on the current roster.
›› With her win at No. 5, Linda Eloundou became the first Eagle this season to reach 20 wins in singles play.
Up Next
Two MAC matches await the Eagles next week with one each at home and on the road. First, Eastern will venture to DeKalb, Ill., to face NIU in a 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) match Friday, April 5. Then, the week ends Sunday, April 7, with the University at Buffalo Bulls coming to town for a 1 p.m. match at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti.
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.
Eastern Michigan 6, Northern Illinois 1
March 29 • Chippewa Club • Ypsilanti, Mich.
SINGLES
#1: Daniella Shved (E) def. Erika Dimitriev, 6-3, 7-6(4)
#2: Prerna Vichare (E) def. Diana Lukyanova, 6-4, 6-3
#3: Andrea Quiroz (E) def. Nataly Ninova, 7-6(3), 6-4
#4: Isabella Righi (N) def. Ksyusha Saenko, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
#5: Linda Eloundou (E) def. Reagan Welch, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
#6: Sabina Brichackova (E) def. Jenna Horne, 6-4, 7-5
Order of Finish: 3, 6, 2, 1, 5, 4
DOUBLES
#1: Daniella Shved/Prerna Vichare (E) def. Diana Lukyanova/Isabella Righi, 6-2
#2: Linda Eloundou/Andrea Quiroz (E) trailed Erika Dimitriev/Nataly Ninova (N), 3-4, unfinished
#3: Sabina Brichackova/Ksyusha Saenko (E) Anastasia Rakita/Reagan Welch, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3
Quoting Kucera
"(I am) so proud of this team," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said following the victory. "We've talked a lot this season about discipline and that's what put us over the top today. We brought the energy in the doubles point, which was a great bounce back from Sunday (loss at Ball State). Today, we were aggressive, flying around, and attacking them with our movement. In singles we were incredibly poised. It took a lot of composure, but we stayed true to ourselves. That's the winning formula: discipline in who we are and what we do. I couldn't be prouder of them. It was a complete team victory."
How It Happened
The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead as they claimed the doubles point for the third time in four MAC matches and the second time at home in conference play. The No. 1 team of Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) were the first to finish as they won, 6-2, before the No. 3 duo of Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) and Ksyusha Saenko (Voronezh, Russia/Gymnasium 2) tallied an identical 6-2 victory to clinch the point. The No. 2 team of Linda Eloundou (Yaounde, Cameroon/Augustine Meyou/New Mexico Military Institute) and Andrea Quiroz (Lima, Peru/La Molina 1278/Alcorn State) trailed, 4-3, when their match was abandoned as the doubles point had been clinched.
In singles action, the solid play from the Eagles continued with all six players battling through to the end. Quiroz was the first victor as she claimed a hard-fought win at No. 3, 7-6(3), 6-4, before Brichackova followed with her 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 6. Needing just one more point to clinch the team victory, the Eagles received just that as Vichare sliced her way to a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2. Shved followed with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win at No. 1 before Eloundou closed out the win at No. 5, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. The Huskies scored their lone point with a three-set win at No. 4.
Notes
›› Eastern climbed to 8-8 overall and 2-2 in MAC play while Northern Illinois dropped to 12-8 overall and 1-3 in the MAC.
›› At 2-2 in league play, the Eagles are one of three teams tied for the top spot in the MAC West as Eastern, Western Michigan, and Ball State all hold 2-2 records with NIU in fourth at 1-3.
›› The Eagles are 34-11 all-time against the Huskies and have won two consecutive matches after dropping five in a row. The 6-1 score marks the 22nd time Eastern has secured at least six points when defeating NIU.
›› Eastern is now 17-4 when hosting NIU in Ypsilanti with the win snapping a four-match skid that included 4-3 losses in the last two home meetings (April 7, 2023, and April 15, 2022). The last time EMU defeated NIU in Ypsilanti was a 5-2 decision April 5, 2015.
›› The Eagles won the doubles point for the seventh time this year and the sixth time at home after winning four times total in 2022-23. In MAC play, EMU has won the doubles point three times, including at Miami (March 17) and at home to Ball State (March 22).
›› Prerna Vichare clinched the team win for EMU for the second time this season after doing so against visiting Hilldale, Jan. 27.
›› Sabina Brichackova, playing with Ksyusha Saenko, and Prerna Vichare, playing with Daniella Shved, each won the 40th time in doubles play during the EMU career. Brichackova is now the only player on the team with 40+ career wins in both singles and doubles play on the current roster.
›› With her win at No. 5, Linda Eloundou became the first Eagle this season to reach 20 wins in singles play.
Up Next
Two MAC matches await the Eagles next week with one each at home and on the road. First, Eastern will venture to DeKalb, Ill., to face NIU in a 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) match Friday, April 5. Then, the week ends Sunday, April 7, with the University at Buffalo Bulls coming to town for a 1 p.m. match at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti.
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.
Eastern Michigan 6, Northern Illinois 1
March 29 • Chippewa Club • Ypsilanti, Mich.
SINGLES
#1: Daniella Shved (E) def. Erika Dimitriev, 6-3, 7-6(4)
#2: Prerna Vichare (E) def. Diana Lukyanova, 6-4, 6-3
#3: Andrea Quiroz (E) def. Nataly Ninova, 7-6(3), 6-4
#4: Isabella Righi (N) def. Ksyusha Saenko, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
#5: Linda Eloundou (E) def. Reagan Welch, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
#6: Sabina Brichackova (E) def. Jenna Horne, 6-4, 7-5
Order of Finish: 3, 6, 2, 1, 5, 4
DOUBLES
#1: Daniella Shved/Prerna Vichare (E) def. Diana Lukyanova/Isabella Righi, 6-2
#2: Linda Eloundou/Andrea Quiroz (E) trailed Erika Dimitriev/Nataly Ninova (N), 3-4, unfinished
#3: Sabina Brichackova/Ksyusha Saenko (E) Anastasia Rakita/Reagan Welch, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3
#1 Singles Match
12
Erika Dimitriev / 0 [NIU-W]
36
67
#2 Singles Match
12
Diana Lukyanova / 0 [NIU-W]
43
66
#3 Singles Match
12
Nataly Ninova / 0 [NIU-W]
64
76
#4 Singles Match
123
Isabella Righi / 0 [NIU-W]
466
633
#5 Singles Match
123
Reagan Welch / 0 [NIU-W]
364
616
#6 Singles Match
12
Jenna Horne / 0 [NIU-W]
45
67
Order of Finish:
3,6,2,1,5,4
Players Mentioned
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