Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, April 19
Ypsilanti, Mich.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
5
vs
2
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Western Michigan
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Tennis Downs WMU, 5-2, to Finish Home Slate Undefeated
4/19/2024 6:28:00 PM | Tennis
Eastern defeated its rival at home to finish 11-0 for the program’s fourth unblemished home record ever
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University tennis team claimed a 5-2 victory over rival Western Michigan University Friday, April 19, to not only remain in contention for a berth into the 2024 Mid-American Conference Tournament, but also to finish a perfect 11-0 at home. Playing under sunny and clear blue skies, the Eagles (11-10, 5-4 MAC) won the doubles point before scoring four wins in doubles play to hand the Broncos (15-7, 6-3 MAC) just their third loss in league play.
Quoting Kucera
"Today was such a special day," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said following the win. "To come back and respond after getting beat the week before takes a lot of trust and belief. We had to commit to all the things we strive for; we were composed, and we were present. Western is a great team. We had to make a lot of adjustments and compete well in the big moments, and we did. (I give) all the credit to these ladies because they were so committed to what we had to do. It is really special to go undefeated at home, too. That is something they will remember forever! We are so excited to finish strong Sunday on the road."
How It Happened
In a mirror image of last week's match in Kalamazoo (April 12), the home side won the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 while the visitors claimed a win at No. 3. Linda Eloundou (Yaounde, Cameroon/Augustine Meyou/New Mexico Military Institute) and Andrea Quiroz (Lima, Peru/La Molina 1278/Alcorn State) got things started for the Eagles as the duo avenged their 6-2 loss with a 6-0 sweep over the team of Karin Hamilton and Polina Khotko at No. 2. The Broncos took a win at No. 3 with a 6-4 victory before the No. 1 team of Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) combined to avenge their 7-6(2) loss from last week with a 7-5 win to clinch the doubles point.
In singles play, Shved avenged another loss as she swept Lindsey Zieglar at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-2, to stake the Eagles to a 2-0 lead. Prior to the match, the two had met twice this season with Zieglar holding a 2-0 record, including a 3-6, 6-0, 4-6 win last week in Kalamazoo. From there, Ksyusha Saenko (Voronezh, Russia/Gymnasium 2) got back into the win column, this time at No. 5, where she scored a 6-0, 7-5 victory to make to 3-0 in favor of Eastern.
The Broncos claimed their first point of the day with a win at No. 4 singles to make it 3-1, but the Eagles clinched the match - and a perfect home record - with the win at No. 6 by Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava), who downed Ariane Souligny, 7-6(4), 6-4. The two played last week with Souligny winning, 6-4, 6-0. With the team victory secured, the teams played out the final two matches with each winning one. First, Vichare made it 2-for-2 against Valeriya Monko this season as she won, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 after also winning in three sets, Nov. 10, at the Bronco Super Challenge in Kalamazoo, 4-6, 7-6(4), 10-4. The final match of the day went to WMU at No. 2.
No Place Like Home
With the win, the Eagles capped an undefeated home season as they finished 11-0 at the Chippewa Club. The 11 wins are a single-season record, surpassing the eight home wins secured in the 2017-18 season and surpassing the combined home win total of the previous five seasons (nine wins). The eighth EMU team to play nine or more home matches, this year's squad finished with 11 home matches, surpassing the previous record of 10, which happened in both 1980-81 and 2017-18. Finally, three previous teams finished undefeated at home, including the 1978-79 (3-0), 2000-01 (5-0), and 2003-04 (7-0) squads.
Notes
›› Eastern improved to 11-10 overall and 5-4 in MAC play while Western Michigan fell to 15-7 and 6-3 in MAC play.
›› The Eagles have yet to win on the road this season, holding a 11-0 record at home and a 0-10 mark on the road. A win in their regular season finale at Bowling Green State University Sunday, April 21, will clinch a berth into the MAC Tournament.
›› Eastern finished the home season with a perfect 11-0 record, marking just the fourth time in program history the Eagles have gone undefeated at home with the last coming in 2003-04 with a 7-0 record.
›› EMU has WMU the most of any opponent in program history with Friday's match the 60th all-time. The Eagles are now 16-45 all-time against the Broncos and have won three of the last five, something that hasn't happened since the early 2000s.
›› The Eagles are now 99-112 all-time against fellow Michigan teams after going 5-2 this season.
›› Eastern secured the doubles point for the 11th time in 2024 after doing so just four times last year. It also marked the 10th time the point has been won at home and the sixth time in MAC play.
›› Head Coach Ryan Kucera has moved up among the best in program history with his team's performance in 2024. His 11 wins are the fourth-most in the debut season for an EMU coach while his five MAC wins rank second. Overall, the five wins in conference play rank as the 11th most in a single season.
›› Ksyusha Saenko picked up a win at No. 5 singles for her 20th victory of the season. She joined Linda Eloundou (23) as the only Eagles with 20+ wins in singles play this year.
›› Sabina Brichackova clinched the team victory for the second time at home this year. The first instance came Feb. 10 against Oakland University (6-1 team win).
›› Daniella Shved secured the 20th doubles victory of her career while playing partner Prerna Vichare won her 42nd.
›› Andrea Quiroz paired with Linda Eloundou for the win at No. 2 doubles, giving Quiroz her team-leading 15th doubles win.
Up Next
The Eagles finish their regular season schedule Sunday, April 21, when the travel to Perrysburg, Ohio, to face the Falcons of Bowling Green in a noon MAC contest. With a victory, the Eagles will clinch a berth into the 2024 MAC Tournament that will be played April 26-27 in Toledo, Ohio.
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 5, Western Michigan 2
April 19 • Chippewa Club • Ypsilanti, Mich.
SINGLES
#1: Daniella Shved (E) def. Lindsey Zieglar, 6-4, 6-2
#2: Karin Hamilton (W) def. Andrea Quiroz, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
#3: Prerna Vichare (E) def. Valeriya Monko, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2
#4: Polina Khotko (W) def. Linda Eloundou, 7-5, 6-1
#5: Ksyusha Saenko (E) def. Maya Perkucin, 6-0, 7-5
#6: Sabina Brichackova (E) def. Ariane Souligny, 7-6(4), 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 4, 6, 3, 2
DOUBLES
#1: Daniella Shved/Prerna Vichare (E) def. Valeriya Monko/Lindsey Zieglar, 7-5
#2: Linda Eloundou/Andrea Quiroz (E) def. Karin Hamilton/Polina Khotko, 6-0
#3: Audrey Smitek/Ariane Souligny (W) def. Sabina Brichackova/Ksyusha Saenko, 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
Quoting Kucera
"Today was such a special day," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said following the win. "To come back and respond after getting beat the week before takes a lot of trust and belief. We had to commit to all the things we strive for; we were composed, and we were present. Western is a great team. We had to make a lot of adjustments and compete well in the big moments, and we did. (I give) all the credit to these ladies because they were so committed to what we had to do. It is really special to go undefeated at home, too. That is something they will remember forever! We are so excited to finish strong Sunday on the road."
How It Happened
In a mirror image of last week's match in Kalamazoo (April 12), the home side won the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 while the visitors claimed a win at No. 3. Linda Eloundou (Yaounde, Cameroon/Augustine Meyou/New Mexico Military Institute) and Andrea Quiroz (Lima, Peru/La Molina 1278/Alcorn State) got things started for the Eagles as the duo avenged their 6-2 loss with a 6-0 sweep over the team of Karin Hamilton and Polina Khotko at No. 2. The Broncos took a win at No. 3 with a 6-4 victory before the No. 1 team of Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) combined to avenge their 7-6(2) loss from last week with a 7-5 win to clinch the doubles point.
In singles play, Shved avenged another loss as she swept Lindsey Zieglar at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-2, to stake the Eagles to a 2-0 lead. Prior to the match, the two had met twice this season with Zieglar holding a 2-0 record, including a 3-6, 6-0, 4-6 win last week in Kalamazoo. From there, Ksyusha Saenko (Voronezh, Russia/Gymnasium 2) got back into the win column, this time at No. 5, where she scored a 6-0, 7-5 victory to make to 3-0 in favor of Eastern.
The Broncos claimed their first point of the day with a win at No. 4 singles to make it 3-1, but the Eagles clinched the match - and a perfect home record - with the win at No. 6 by Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava), who downed Ariane Souligny, 7-6(4), 6-4. The two played last week with Souligny winning, 6-4, 6-0. With the team victory secured, the teams played out the final two matches with each winning one. First, Vichare made it 2-for-2 against Valeriya Monko this season as she won, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 after also winning in three sets, Nov. 10, at the Bronco Super Challenge in Kalamazoo, 4-6, 7-6(4), 10-4. The final match of the day went to WMU at No. 2.
No Place Like Home
With the win, the Eagles capped an undefeated home season as they finished 11-0 at the Chippewa Club. The 11 wins are a single-season record, surpassing the eight home wins secured in the 2017-18 season and surpassing the combined home win total of the previous five seasons (nine wins). The eighth EMU team to play nine or more home matches, this year's squad finished with 11 home matches, surpassing the previous record of 10, which happened in both 1980-81 and 2017-18. Finally, three previous teams finished undefeated at home, including the 1978-79 (3-0), 2000-01 (5-0), and 2003-04 (7-0) squads.
Notes
›› Eastern improved to 11-10 overall and 5-4 in MAC play while Western Michigan fell to 15-7 and 6-3 in MAC play.
›› The Eagles have yet to win on the road this season, holding a 11-0 record at home and a 0-10 mark on the road. A win in their regular season finale at Bowling Green State University Sunday, April 21, will clinch a berth into the MAC Tournament.
›› Eastern finished the home season with a perfect 11-0 record, marking just the fourth time in program history the Eagles have gone undefeated at home with the last coming in 2003-04 with a 7-0 record.
›› EMU has WMU the most of any opponent in program history with Friday's match the 60th all-time. The Eagles are now 16-45 all-time against the Broncos and have won three of the last five, something that hasn't happened since the early 2000s.
›› The Eagles are now 99-112 all-time against fellow Michigan teams after going 5-2 this season.
›› Eastern secured the doubles point for the 11th time in 2024 after doing so just four times last year. It also marked the 10th time the point has been won at home and the sixth time in MAC play.
›› Head Coach Ryan Kucera has moved up among the best in program history with his team's performance in 2024. His 11 wins are the fourth-most in the debut season for an EMU coach while his five MAC wins rank second. Overall, the five wins in conference play rank as the 11th most in a single season.
›› Ksyusha Saenko picked up a win at No. 5 singles for her 20th victory of the season. She joined Linda Eloundou (23) as the only Eagles with 20+ wins in singles play this year.
›› Sabina Brichackova clinched the team victory for the second time at home this year. The first instance came Feb. 10 against Oakland University (6-1 team win).
›› Daniella Shved secured the 20th doubles victory of her career while playing partner Prerna Vichare won her 42nd.
›› Andrea Quiroz paired with Linda Eloundou for the win at No. 2 doubles, giving Quiroz her team-leading 15th doubles win.
Up Next
The Eagles finish their regular season schedule Sunday, April 21, when the travel to Perrysburg, Ohio, to face the Falcons of Bowling Green in a noon MAC contest. With a victory, the Eagles will clinch a berth into the 2024 MAC Tournament that will be played April 26-27 in Toledo, Ohio.
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 5, Western Michigan 2
April 19 • Chippewa Club • Ypsilanti, Mich.
SINGLES
#1: Daniella Shved (E) def. Lindsey Zieglar, 6-4, 6-2
#2: Karin Hamilton (W) def. Andrea Quiroz, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
#3: Prerna Vichare (E) def. Valeriya Monko, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2
#4: Polina Khotko (W) def. Linda Eloundou, 7-5, 6-1
#5: Ksyusha Saenko (E) def. Maya Perkucin, 6-0, 7-5
#6: Sabina Brichackova (E) def. Ariane Souligny, 7-6(4), 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 4, 6, 3, 2
DOUBLES
#1: Daniella Shved/Prerna Vichare (E) def. Valeriya Monko/Lindsey Zieglar, 7-5
#2: Linda Eloundou/Andrea Quiroz (E) def. Karin Hamilton/Polina Khotko, 6-0
#3: Audrey Smitek/Ariane Souligny (W) def. Sabina Brichackova/Ksyusha Saenko, 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3,1
#1 Singles Match
12
Lindsey Zieglar / 0 [WMU]
42
66
#2 Singles Match
123
Karin Hamilton / 0 [WMU]
726
562
#3 Singles Match
123
Valeriya Monko / 0 [WMU]
742
666
#4 Singles Match
12
Polina Khotko / 0 [WMU]
76
51
#5 Singles Match
12
Maya Perkucin / 0 [WMU]
05
67
#6 Singles Match
12
Audrey Smitek / 0 [WMU]
64
76
Order of Finish:
1,5,4,6,3,2
Players Mentioned
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