Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, April 26
Toledo, OH
10:00 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
2
at
4
Toledo (#1)
Tennis Falls in MAC Tourney Battle at Toledo, 4-2
4/26/2024 4:42:00 PM | Tennis
Eastern took the doubles point from the Rockets before 5-of-6 singles matches went to three sets
Photo Gallery
TOLEDO, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University team poured all it had into its semifinal match at the 2024 Mid-American Conference Tournament Friday, April 26, but was unable to overcome the top-seeded and host University of Toledo, falling to the Rockets, 4-2, at the UT Varsity Tennis Courts in Toledo, Ohio. The fourth-seeded Eagles (12-11), who earned a place in the MAC event for the first time since 2018, claimed the doubles point and saw Ksyusha Saenko win her match at No. 4 singles, but were unable to end the Rockets' (17-5) 11-match home winning streak.
Quoting Kucera
"[It was] a tough ending to a fantastic season," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said. "The team left their hearts out on the court. We truly gave everything we had. The doubles point was fantastic. Toledo adjusted and we had to play differently today, especially on court three. It took a lot of focus and composure to trust the game plan and be tough in the big moments. In singles, what more can you ask for than five matches going the distance? It was an epic battle on all six courts. We competed with great heart and fire, but Toledo just came up big in the tough moments. Credit to them; they're a great team. This was a great college tennis match. We set out to create a new standard at Eastern Michigan and we truly did that. I couldn't be prouder of the work this team put in each day to get us here. The future is so bright, we will grow from this, and we will come back even stronger next year."
How It Happened
The Eagles looked to quiet the roars of the large home crowd and were able to do so by securing the doubles point. Doubles began with the UT team of Sanjana Tallamraju and Sloane Teske scoring a 6-2 win over Linda Eloundou (Yaounde, Cameroon/Augustine Meyou/New Mexico Military Institute) and Andrea Quiroz (Lima, Peru/La Molina 1278/Alcorn State) at No. 2. Despite the setback, the remaining two teams fought their way to victory with Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) scoring a 6-4 win at No. 1 over Cassie Alcala and Julia Kuszynski. The point came down to the wire at No. 3 where Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) and Saenko (Voronezh, Russia/Gymnasium 2) battled to a 7-6(3) win and a 1-0 lead for the visitors.
The Rockets tied the score with a win at No. 2 singles as Vichare was on the short end of a 6-3, 6-3 decision to Teske. Toledo then claimed a 2-1 lead as Quiroz was bested, 0-6, 6-0, 6-1. The Eagles pulled one back and tied things at 2-2 with Saenko scrapping her way to a 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 victory at No. 4. With three matches to play, the Rockets struck next as Shved put forth a valiant effort before falling to Alacala, the three-time MAC Player of the Year, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(4). The match ended with the Rockets winning at No. 6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. With the team match decided, the remaining singles match went unfinished with Eloundou needing just one more game for the win in a 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-5 score line.
Notes
›› Eastern finished its season with a 12-11 record, an improvement of six wins from last year.
›› Eastern captured the doubles point for the 13th time this season. Since 2005-06, the 13 wins are the third-most in a single season for EMU behind the 16 wins in both 2013-14 and 2021-22 while the 56.5 winning percentage ranks second in that span.
›› The Eagles took the doubles point from Toledo for the second time this season and the first time since winning the point in Toledo since April 5, 2014. Since the 2005-06 season, EMU also won the point in back-to-back matches for the first time over UT.
›› For the season, the Eagles are one of five schools to take the doubles point from the Rockets, joining Xavier, Cleveland State, Michigan State, and William & Mary. In fact, heading into the April 14 dual in Ypsilanti, UT had won the point 11 matches in a row.
›› Ksyusha Saenko was undefeated on the day with a win at No. 3 doubles and at No. 4 singles. With her victories, she finished her rookie campaign with 22 singles wins, a team-high-tying 16 doubles wins, and a team-best 38 combined victories.
›› Ksyusha Saenko and Sabina Brichackova won their No. 3 doubles match to clinch the doubles point for the Eagles after doing so against Toledo in April 14 home match. The duo finished the year with an 11-8 record, the most wins of any tandem at EMU. Brichackova also secured her 90th career win at EMU with the doubles victory.
›› Two seniors played their final matches for the Eagles. Linda Eloundou and Andrea Quiroz combined for 84 wins in their two years with the Eagles, including 43 from Eloundou (27 singles and 16 doubles wins) and 41 from Quiroz (22 and 19).
›› Daniella Shved, a member of the 2024 All-MAC First Team added 25 wins this season as she joined with Prerna Vichare to win at No. 1 doubles before falling short in a highly competitive match with the three-time MAC Player of the Year, Cassie Alcala. At 46 career combined wins, the sophomore has two more years with the program to build upon that total.
›› The 2024 MAC Tournament marked the first appearance for the Eagles since the 2018 season. It also marked the third year in a row Ryan Kucera has guided a team to the semifinals of a conference tournament. The first-year leader of the EMU program previously guided Minnesota State Mankato (Northern Sun) and Milwaukee (Horizon) in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Up Next
The 2023-24 campaign has come to an end for the Eagles.
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.
#1 Toledo, #4 Eastern Michigan 2
April 26 • UT Varsity Tennis Courts • Toledo, Ohio
SINGLES
#1: Cassie Alcala (T) def. Daniella Shved, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(4)
#2: Sloane Teske (T) def. Prerna Vichare, 6-3, 6-3
#3: Sanjana Tallamraju (T) def. Andrea Quiroz, 0-6, 6-0, 6-1
#4: Ksyusha Saenko (E) def. Shalini Tallamraju, 6-3, 0-6, 6-3
#5: Linda Eloundou (E) led Audrey Moutama (T), 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-5, unfinished
#6: Julia Kuszynski (T) def. Sabina Brichackova, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 4, 1, 6
DOUBLES
#1: Daniella Shved/Prerna Vichare (E) def. Cassie Alcala/Julia Kuszynski, 6-4
#2: Sanjana Tallamraju/Sloane Teske (T) def. Linda Eloundou/Andrea Quiroz, 6-2
#3: Sabina Brichackova/Ksyusha Saenko (E) def. Audrey Moutama/Gaby Rondon, 7-6(3)
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
TOLEDO, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University team poured all it had into its semifinal match at the 2024 Mid-American Conference Tournament Friday, April 26, but was unable to overcome the top-seeded and host University of Toledo, falling to the Rockets, 4-2, at the UT Varsity Tennis Courts in Toledo, Ohio. The fourth-seeded Eagles (12-11), who earned a place in the MAC event for the first time since 2018, claimed the doubles point and saw Ksyusha Saenko win her match at No. 4 singles, but were unable to end the Rockets' (17-5) 11-match home winning streak.
Quoting Kucera
"[It was] a tough ending to a fantastic season," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said. "The team left their hearts out on the court. We truly gave everything we had. The doubles point was fantastic. Toledo adjusted and we had to play differently today, especially on court three. It took a lot of focus and composure to trust the game plan and be tough in the big moments. In singles, what more can you ask for than five matches going the distance? It was an epic battle on all six courts. We competed with great heart and fire, but Toledo just came up big in the tough moments. Credit to them; they're a great team. This was a great college tennis match. We set out to create a new standard at Eastern Michigan and we truly did that. I couldn't be prouder of the work this team put in each day to get us here. The future is so bright, we will grow from this, and we will come back even stronger next year."
How It Happened
The Eagles looked to quiet the roars of the large home crowd and were able to do so by securing the doubles point. Doubles began with the UT team of Sanjana Tallamraju and Sloane Teske scoring a 6-2 win over Linda Eloundou (Yaounde, Cameroon/Augustine Meyou/New Mexico Military Institute) and Andrea Quiroz (Lima, Peru/La Molina 1278/Alcorn State) at No. 2. Despite the setback, the remaining two teams fought their way to victory with Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) scoring a 6-4 win at No. 1 over Cassie Alcala and Julia Kuszynski. The point came down to the wire at No. 3 where Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) and Saenko (Voronezh, Russia/Gymnasium 2) battled to a 7-6(3) win and a 1-0 lead for the visitors.
The Rockets tied the score with a win at No. 2 singles as Vichare was on the short end of a 6-3, 6-3 decision to Teske. Toledo then claimed a 2-1 lead as Quiroz was bested, 0-6, 6-0, 6-1. The Eagles pulled one back and tied things at 2-2 with Saenko scrapping her way to a 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 victory at No. 4. With three matches to play, the Rockets struck next as Shved put forth a valiant effort before falling to Alacala, the three-time MAC Player of the Year, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(4). The match ended with the Rockets winning at No. 6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. With the team match decided, the remaining singles match went unfinished with Eloundou needing just one more game for the win in a 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-5 score line.
Notes
›› Eastern finished its season with a 12-11 record, an improvement of six wins from last year.
›› Eastern captured the doubles point for the 13th time this season. Since 2005-06, the 13 wins are the third-most in a single season for EMU behind the 16 wins in both 2013-14 and 2021-22 while the 56.5 winning percentage ranks second in that span.
›› The Eagles took the doubles point from Toledo for the second time this season and the first time since winning the point in Toledo since April 5, 2014. Since the 2005-06 season, EMU also won the point in back-to-back matches for the first time over UT.
›› For the season, the Eagles are one of five schools to take the doubles point from the Rockets, joining Xavier, Cleveland State, Michigan State, and William & Mary. In fact, heading into the April 14 dual in Ypsilanti, UT had won the point 11 matches in a row.
›› Ksyusha Saenko was undefeated on the day with a win at No. 3 doubles and at No. 4 singles. With her victories, she finished her rookie campaign with 22 singles wins, a team-high-tying 16 doubles wins, and a team-best 38 combined victories.
›› Ksyusha Saenko and Sabina Brichackova won their No. 3 doubles match to clinch the doubles point for the Eagles after doing so against Toledo in April 14 home match. The duo finished the year with an 11-8 record, the most wins of any tandem at EMU. Brichackova also secured her 90th career win at EMU with the doubles victory.
›› Two seniors played their final matches for the Eagles. Linda Eloundou and Andrea Quiroz combined for 84 wins in their two years with the Eagles, including 43 from Eloundou (27 singles and 16 doubles wins) and 41 from Quiroz (22 and 19).
›› Daniella Shved, a member of the 2024 All-MAC First Team added 25 wins this season as she joined with Prerna Vichare to win at No. 1 doubles before falling short in a highly competitive match with the three-time MAC Player of the Year, Cassie Alcala. At 46 career combined wins, the sophomore has two more years with the program to build upon that total.
›› The 2024 MAC Tournament marked the first appearance for the Eagles since the 2018 season. It also marked the third year in a row Ryan Kucera has guided a team to the semifinals of a conference tournament. The first-year leader of the EMU program previously guided Minnesota State Mankato (Northern Sun) and Milwaukee (Horizon) in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Up Next
The 2023-24 campaign has come to an end for the Eagles.
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.
#1 Toledo, #4 Eastern Michigan 2
April 26 • UT Varsity Tennis Courts • Toledo, Ohio
SINGLES
#1: Cassie Alcala (T) def. Daniella Shved, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(4)
#2: Sloane Teske (T) def. Prerna Vichare, 6-3, 6-3
#3: Sanjana Tallamraju (T) def. Andrea Quiroz, 0-6, 6-0, 6-1
#4: Ksyusha Saenko (E) def. Shalini Tallamraju, 6-3, 0-6, 6-3
#5: Linda Eloundou (E) led Audrey Moutama (T), 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-5, unfinished
#6: Julia Kuszynski (T) def. Sabina Brichackova, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 4, 1, 6
DOUBLES
#1: Daniella Shved/Prerna Vichare (E) def. Cassie Alcala/Julia Kuszynski, 6-4
#2: Sanjana Tallamraju/Sloane Teske (T) def. Linda Eloundou/Andrea Quiroz, 6-2
#3: Sabina Brichackova/Ksyusha Saenko (E) def. Audrey Moutama/Gaby Rondon, 7-6(3)
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1,3
#1 Singles Match
123
266
Cassie Alcala / 0 [TOLW24]
637
#2 Singles Match
12
33
Sloane Teske / 0 [TOLW24]
66
#3 Singles Match
123
601
Sanjana Tallamraju / 0 [TOLW24]
066
#4 Singles Match
123
606
Shalini Tallamraju / 0 [TOLW24]
363
#5 Singles Match
1234
7360
Audrey Moutama / 0 [TOLW24]
665UF
#6 Singles Match
123
632
Julia Kuszynski / 0 [TOLW24]
366
Order of Finish:
2,3,4,1,6
Players Mentioned
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