Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tennis Upends Visiting Toledo, 4-3, to Stay Perfect at Home
4/14/2024 7:08:00 PM | Tennis
Eastern (10-0 at home) handed the Rockets their first MAC loss of the season
Highlights
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – In a gritty, back-and-forth affair, the Eastern Michigan University tennis team battled to the end to capture a 4-3 win against the visiting University of Toledo Sunday, April 14, at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. The Eagles (10-10, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) remained perfect at home this year with their 10th consecutive win while the Rockets (14-5, 7-1 MAC) lost a league match for the first time this year and the first since April 22, 2022, a 4-3 home loss to the University at Buffalo, a streak of 17 matches in a row.
Quoting Kucera
"This is what college tennis is all about," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said. "I'm so proud of this team. Toledo had not lost in this league in almost 20 matches, but we stood tall, and we focused on what makes us great. It took everyone willing to dig in and ride the waves along with so much resiliency from everyone. We started with a composed doubles point from with great play from all three teams. Daniella saved at least four match points. Linda was down most of the third set and 2-5 in the tiebreak before coming back to win. I couldn't be prouder of everyone.
"This is what it's all about, laying it all on the line for your team," Kucera continued. "All the credit to Toledo; they are the reigning champs for a reason, and they fought to the last ball. This was a great college tennis match. I can't wait to use this momentum to finish strong!"
How It Happened
Eastern jumped out to a 1-0 lead as it captured the doubles point for the 10th time this season. The team of Linda Eloundou (Yaounde, Cameroon/Augustine Meyou/New Mexico Military Institute) and Andrea Quiroz (Lima, Peru/La Molina 1278/Alcorn State) led off with a 6-4 win at No. 2 before Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) and Ksyusha Saenko (Voronezh, Russia/Gymnasium 2) clinched the point with their 7-5 win at No. 3. In the No. 1 bout, Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) were trailing, 6-5, before the match was abandoned.
In singles play, Vichare took a quick 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 2 to up the lead to 2-0, but the Rockets came back and scored wins at No. 3 and No. 6 to make it 2-2. Shved was the next Eagle to win as she took home a three-set victory. After dropping the first set, 6-1, she battled back to take the final two sets for a 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) win. The Rockets tied things at 3-3 with a win at No. 4, leaving only the No. 5 battle remaining.
In the deciding match, Eloundou won the first set and dropped the second in a tie breaker before a grueling third set decided things. In the tiebreaker, the senior Eagle was trailing, 5-2, before roaring back to rattle off four points in a row to make it, 6-4. After a Toledo point, Eloundou secured the final point needed and clinched the match with her 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) score.
Notes
›› Eastern improved to 10-10 overall and 4-4 in MAC play while Toledo fell to 14-5 and 7-1 in MAC play.
›› The Eagles have yet to win on the road this season, holding a 10-0 record at home and a 0-10 mark on the road.
›› The 4-3 win moved Eastern to 108-95 all-time in one-point matches and 33-35 at home. In MAC play, the Eagles are now 42-44 in one-point decision and 19-21 at home.
›› Eastern is now 33-15 all-time against Toledo and snapped a three-match losing streak, including a 7-0 loss last year in Toledo. The last time the Eagles downed the Rockets at home came in a 4-3 decision, March 26, 2021.
›› With the win, the Eagles have done something not many MAC teams have done in recent seasons: defeat Toledo. The decision gave UT its lone loss in MAC play this season (7-1), snapped a 17-match league winning streak, and snapped an 11-match winning streak in MAC road contests. The last time Toledo lost a regular season MAC match was April 22, 2022, at home to Buffalo, 4-3, while the Rocket's last road MAC loss was a 6-1 setback at Ball State University, March 27, 2022.
›› The Eagles, at 4-4, moved into a tie for fourth place with Ball State University following this weekend's matches. Toledo (7-1), Western Michigan University (6-2), and Miami University (5-3) hold the top three spots in the standings with one weekend remaining. The top four teams will play in the MAC Tournament in Toledo, April 26-27.
›› EMU won the doubles point from Toledo for the first time since March 26, 2021, and just the seventh time in the last 21 meetings. For the year, EMU has won the point 10 times, nine of which have come at home, and the fifth time in MAC play after winning the point just four time all of last year.
›› Linda Eloundou picked up her team-leading 22nd win while also clinching the match for the Eagles. Along with partner Andrea Quiroz, Eloundou bookended the wins as the duo won the first of two doubles matches to secure the doubles point.
›› Eastern also had wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles for just the fifth time this year and third home match in a row. Daniella Shved improved to 3-5 in three-set matches this year while Prerna Vichare grabbed her fifth win of the season in straight sets.
Up Next
The final two matches of the regular season await the Eagles this week with one at home and one on the road. First, Eastern will welcome Western Michigan to town for a 1 p.m. dual at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti Friday, April 19. Then, the regular season ends on the road at Bowling Green, Ohio, with the Eagles and Bowling Green State University Falcons meeting at noon Sunday, April 21. Following those matches, the top four teams in the standings will advance to the MAC Tournament in Toledo, April 26-27.
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 4, Toledo 3
April 14 • Chippewa Club • Ypsilanti, Mich.
SINGLES
#1: Daniella Shved (E) def. Cassie Alcala, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(2)
#2: Prerna Vichare (E) def. Sloane Teske, 6-4, 6-1
#3: Shalini Tallamraju (T) def. Andrea Quiroz, 6-2, 7-6(5)
#4: Audrey Moutama (T) def. Ksyusha Saenko, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5
#5: Linda Eloundou (E) def. Gaby Rondon, 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(5)
#6: Julia Kuszynski (T) def. Sabina Brichackova, 6-3, 7-5
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 6, 1, 4, 5
DOUBLES
#1: Daniella Shved/Prerna Vichare (E) trailed Cassie Alcala/Julia Kuszynski (T), 5-6, unfinished
#2: Linda Eloundou/Andrea Quiroz (E) def. Sanjana Tallamraju/Sloane Teske, 6-4
#3: Sabina Brichackova/Ksyusha Saenko (E) def. Audrey Moutama/Gaby Rondon, 7-5
Order of Finish: 2, 3
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – In a gritty, back-and-forth affair, the Eastern Michigan University tennis team battled to the end to capture a 4-3 win against the visiting University of Toledo Sunday, April 14, at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. The Eagles (10-10, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) remained perfect at home this year with their 10th consecutive win while the Rockets (14-5, 7-1 MAC) lost a league match for the first time this year and the first since April 22, 2022, a 4-3 home loss to the University at Buffalo, a streak of 17 matches in a row.
Quoting Kucera
"This is what college tennis is all about," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said. "I'm so proud of this team. Toledo had not lost in this league in almost 20 matches, but we stood tall, and we focused on what makes us great. It took everyone willing to dig in and ride the waves along with so much resiliency from everyone. We started with a composed doubles point from with great play from all three teams. Daniella saved at least four match points. Linda was down most of the third set and 2-5 in the tiebreak before coming back to win. I couldn't be prouder of everyone.
"This is what it's all about, laying it all on the line for your team," Kucera continued. "All the credit to Toledo; they are the reigning champs for a reason, and they fought to the last ball. This was a great college tennis match. I can't wait to use this momentum to finish strong!"
How It Happened
Eastern jumped out to a 1-0 lead as it captured the doubles point for the 10th time this season. The team of Linda Eloundou (Yaounde, Cameroon/Augustine Meyou/New Mexico Military Institute) and Andrea Quiroz (Lima, Peru/La Molina 1278/Alcorn State) led off with a 6-4 win at No. 2 before Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) and Ksyusha Saenko (Voronezh, Russia/Gymnasium 2) clinched the point with their 7-5 win at No. 3. In the No. 1 bout, Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) were trailing, 6-5, before the match was abandoned.
In singles play, Vichare took a quick 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 2 to up the lead to 2-0, but the Rockets came back and scored wins at No. 3 and No. 6 to make it 2-2. Shved was the next Eagle to win as she took home a three-set victory. After dropping the first set, 6-1, she battled back to take the final two sets for a 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) win. The Rockets tied things at 3-3 with a win at No. 4, leaving only the No. 5 battle remaining.
In the deciding match, Eloundou won the first set and dropped the second in a tie breaker before a grueling third set decided things. In the tiebreaker, the senior Eagle was trailing, 5-2, before roaring back to rattle off four points in a row to make it, 6-4. After a Toledo point, Eloundou secured the final point needed and clinched the match with her 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) score.
Notes
›› Eastern improved to 10-10 overall and 4-4 in MAC play while Toledo fell to 14-5 and 7-1 in MAC play.
›› The Eagles have yet to win on the road this season, holding a 10-0 record at home and a 0-10 mark on the road.
›› The 4-3 win moved Eastern to 108-95 all-time in one-point matches and 33-35 at home. In MAC play, the Eagles are now 42-44 in one-point decision and 19-21 at home.
›› Eastern is now 33-15 all-time against Toledo and snapped a three-match losing streak, including a 7-0 loss last year in Toledo. The last time the Eagles downed the Rockets at home came in a 4-3 decision, March 26, 2021.
›› With the win, the Eagles have done something not many MAC teams have done in recent seasons: defeat Toledo. The decision gave UT its lone loss in MAC play this season (7-1), snapped a 17-match league winning streak, and snapped an 11-match winning streak in MAC road contests. The last time Toledo lost a regular season MAC match was April 22, 2022, at home to Buffalo, 4-3, while the Rocket's last road MAC loss was a 6-1 setback at Ball State University, March 27, 2022.
›› The Eagles, at 4-4, moved into a tie for fourth place with Ball State University following this weekend's matches. Toledo (7-1), Western Michigan University (6-2), and Miami University (5-3) hold the top three spots in the standings with one weekend remaining. The top four teams will play in the MAC Tournament in Toledo, April 26-27.
›› EMU won the doubles point from Toledo for the first time since March 26, 2021, and just the seventh time in the last 21 meetings. For the year, EMU has won the point 10 times, nine of which have come at home, and the fifth time in MAC play after winning the point just four time all of last year.
›› Linda Eloundou picked up her team-leading 22nd win while also clinching the match for the Eagles. Along with partner Andrea Quiroz, Eloundou bookended the wins as the duo won the first of two doubles matches to secure the doubles point.
›› Eastern also had wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles for just the fifth time this year and third home match in a row. Daniella Shved improved to 3-5 in three-set matches this year while Prerna Vichare grabbed her fifth win of the season in straight sets.
Up Next
The final two matches of the regular season await the Eagles this week with one at home and one on the road. First, Eastern will welcome Western Michigan to town for a 1 p.m. dual at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti Friday, April 19. Then, the regular season ends on the road at Bowling Green, Ohio, with the Eagles and Bowling Green State University Falcons meeting at noon Sunday, April 21. Following those matches, the top four teams in the standings will advance to the MAC Tournament in Toledo, April 26-27.
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 4, Toledo 3
April 14 • Chippewa Club • Ypsilanti, Mich.
SINGLES
#1: Daniella Shved (E) def. Cassie Alcala, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(2)
#2: Prerna Vichare (E) def. Sloane Teske, 6-4, 6-1
#3: Shalini Tallamraju (T) def. Andrea Quiroz, 6-2, 7-6(5)
#4: Audrey Moutama (T) def. Ksyusha Saenko, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5
#5: Linda Eloundou (E) def. Gaby Rondon, 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(5)
#6: Julia Kuszynski (T) def. Sabina Brichackova, 6-3, 7-5
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 6, 1, 4, 5
DOUBLES
#1: Daniella Shved/Prerna Vichare (E) trailed Cassie Alcala/Julia Kuszynski (T), 5-6, unfinished
#2: Linda Eloundou/Andrea Quiroz (E) def. Sanjana Tallamraju/Sloane Teske, 6-4
#3: Sabina Brichackova/Ksyusha Saenko (E) def. Audrey Moutama/Gaby Rondon, 7-5
Order of Finish: 2, 3
Players Mentioned
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