Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, February 1
Ypsilanti, Mich.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Oakland
Photo by: Jonathan Knight
Tennis Hosts Oakland, Travels to MSU This Weekend
1/30/2025 10:38:00 AM | Tennis
Eagles looking to remain undefeated at home under Ryan Kucera
| Spring Dual #5 - vs. OAKLAND | |
| Date | Saturday, February 1 | 1 p.m. |
| Venue | Chippewa Club (Ypsilanti) |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live | n/a |
| @EMUEaglesTennis | @EMUAthletics | |
| Spring Dual #6 - at MICHIGAN STATE | |
| Date | Sunday, February 2 | 2 p.m. |
| Venue | MSU Indoor Tennis Center (East Lansing) |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live | Live Results | Watch Live |
| @EMUEaglesTennis | @EMUAthletics | |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University tennis team returns to the courts for a pair of duals this weekend as the Eagles will play host to Oakland University at 1 p.m., Feb. 1, before traveling to take on Michigan State University at 2 p.m., Feb. 2. The Eagles (2-2) and Golden Grizzlies (0-2) will meet inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti before the Eagles head to East Lansing one day later to face the Spartans (2-2).
FIRST SERVES
» The Eagles are looking rebound from an 0-2 weekend trip through southwest Ohio after falling at Cincinnati (4-1) and Dayton (4-3).
» The Eagles are 4-for-4 in claiming the doubles point this season. EMU claimed 13-of-23 last year, one season removed from earning the point just four times.
» By going 2-0 in doubles last weekend, including posting the first of the two needed wins in each dual to claim the doubles point, freshmen Iva Daneva and Viki Hazmukova were named the MAC Doubles Team of the Week. Hazmukova is now 4-0 in doubles this dual season.
» Speaking of clinching, the doubles point was secured at Cincinnati by Sabina Brichackova and Prerna Vichare for their 52nd and 51st career doubles wins at EMU, respectively.
» The doubles point at Dayton was secured by Marta Komar and Regina Mendez. The win marked four consecutive seasons Komar has won at least one doubles match at the No. 1 position (past three years with Wayne State) while Mendez secured her first doubles win in dual competition at EMU.
» The Eagles will play two intrastate foes this weekend with Oakland at home, Feb. 1, and Michigan State on the road, Feb. 2. All-time, Eastern is 101-111 against fellow Michigan schools after sweeping a home doubleheader against Ferris State, Jan. 18.
» A win over Michigan State, a member of the Big Ten Conference, would mark the Eagles' first win over a Power 4 opponent since Feb. 6, 2004, when Eastern defeated the Spartans, 4-3.
» The 2025 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll was released Jan. 7 with the Eagles voted to finish third with 35 points while Miami (48) and Toledo (38) were ranked ahead of EMU. Eastern was voted to finish fourth one year ago and did so to earn its first MAC Tournament appearance since 2018.
» The Eagles' 2024-25 roster features 10 players, including six returnees and four newcomers. In total, nine different nations are represented on the roster, including the U.S., Argentina, Czechia, India, Israel, Mexico, North Macedonia, Poland, and Russia.
» Ryan Kucera returns for his second season as the team's head coach and will look to guide the team to the MAC Tournament for the second year in a row, which would mark the first time it has happened since the 2014 and 2015 tournaments.
» Players are not the only addition to the roster this year as the coaching staff has added both Masha Polishchuk and Andrew Dobbs. Polishchuk, a MAC champion during her playing career at Ball State, will serve as a graduate assistant coach while Dobbs will serve as an undergraduate assistant.
FEELING HONORED
The duo of Iva Daneva and Viki Hazmukova were named the MAC Doubles Team of the Week (Jan. 27) after the duo went 2-0 on the road and won the first doubles matches in each dual that led to the Eagles claiming both doubles points. The freshmen pair posted two wins of 6-2 with wins coming at No. 3 against Cincinnati and No. 2 against Dayton. For the season, Hazmukova is 4-0 in doubles play as the Eagles have captured the doubles point in all four duals played.
LID LIFTING RECAP
Following its 4-1 loss at Cincinnati, Eastern is now 15-33 all-time in its first road dual of the season and has now lost the last four. The last time the Eagles won their first road dual of the season was Jan. 30, 2021, in a 4-3 win at Cleveland State.
MITTEN MATCHES
Eastern will play six matches in 2025 against fellow Michigan schools with four being played at home and two on the road. The Eagles, who opened play with two wins against Ferris State, Jan. 18, stand 101-111 against intrastate competition. The Eagles can add to their win total with two Mitten Matches this weekend when they host Oakland (17-2 all-time), Feb. 1, and play at Michigan State (6-41), Feb. 2. The final two matches are MAC matches with Western Michigan (15-43), including on the road, March 21, and at home, March 28.
RUN IT BACK
For the second consecutive year, the Eagles will play host to Oakland one day before traveling to play at Michigan State. Last year, Eastern opened the weekend with a 6-1 home win, Feb. 10, 2024, before dropping a 4-0 decision to the Spartans, Feb. 11, 2024, in East Lansing.
KNOW THE FOE: OAKLAND
The Golden Grizzlies are 0-2 on the season after playing the opposite schedule of the Eagles last weekend, first falling, 4-3, at Dayton (Jan. 24) before dropping a 7-0 decision at Cincinnati (Jan. 25). Oakland will play at Northwood (Midland, Mich.) Jan. 31 before coming to Ypsilanti for what will be the Golden Grizzlies' fourth of 15 consecutive road matches to open the year. OU will play at home just twice this year when its hosts Northern Kentucky (April 4) and IU Indy (April 5) in Horizon League play.
IN THE SERIES: OAKLAND
Eastern is 17-2 all-time against Oakland and has won two consecutive meetings overall, including a 6-1 home decision, Feb. 10, 2024. The Eagles are also 12-1 all-time against the Golden Grizzlies when the dual is played in Ypsilanti with OU's lone win coming in a 4-3 decision, March 6, 2020, that snapped the Eagles' 12-match winning streak to start the series.
THE LAST TIME VS. OAKLAND
The Eagles and Golden Grizzlies played in Ypsilanti, Feb. 10, 2024, with EMU claiming a 6-1 decision. EMU won the doubles point with Daniella Shved and Prerna Vichare winning at No. 1 after Linda Eloundou and Andrea Quiroz won at No. 3. The Eagles went on to win 5-of-6 singles matches with Regina Mendez' 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 6 clinching the team win.
KNOW THE FOE: MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans are 2-2 on the year and have won two consecutive duals after dropping their first two of the year away from home. MSU, who will play Western Michigan (10 a.m.) ahead of taking on the Eagles four hours later, opened the year with a 5-2 loss at Gonzaga before dropping a 6-1 decision to Washington State in Spokane, Wash. The Spartans rebounded with a 4-3 home win over Xavier before downing visiting West Virginia, 6-1.
IN THE SERIES: MICHIGAN STATE
Eastern is 6-41 all-time against the Spartans and has dropped 16 consecutive duals, all of which have been played in East Lansing. The Eagles are 6-33 when playing the Spartans in East Lansing with EMU's last win coming in a 4-3 decision at MSU, Feb. 6, 2004.
THE LAST TIME VS. MICHIGAN STATE
EMU fell at Michigan State, 4-0, Feb. 11, 2024. The Spartans took 2-of-3 doubles matches to claim the first point before winning three singles bouts to claim the 4-0 victory in East Lansing.
LOOKING BACK: TOUGH ROAD TRIP
Eastern dropped both of its duals on the road last weekend, including a 4-1 loss at Cincinnati, Jan. 25, and a 4-3 decision at Dayton, Jan. 26. Despite the losses, the Eagles took the doubles point in both duals with Sabina Brichackova and Prerna Vichare clinching at No. 1 against the Bearcats and the team of Marta Komar and Regina Mendez clinching at No. 1 against the Flyers. The team of Iva Daneva and Viki Hazmukova won their matches in both duals to set up the doubles point. In singles play, Daneva (No. 4) and Mendez (No. 5) won at Dayton for EMU's lone wins.
POINTING IT OUT
During the 2022-23 season, the Eagles won the doubles point just four times in 15 duals (26.7 percent). With Ryan Kucera taking over last year, the 2023-24 squad won 13 doubles points in 23 duals (56.5 percent). Of those 13 wins, five each were secured at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions with the remaining three secured at No. 2. Through the road trip through Ohio (Jan. 25-26), the Eagles are 4-of-4 in doubles points with three coming at the No. 2 spot and one at No. 1.
ENDING A DROUGHT?
The goal every year is to win the MAC Tournament and earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament. The last time the Eagles were able to do so came in 2001 when they swept through the MAC Tournament hosted by Marshall with wins over Ball State (4-1), Western Michigan (4-2), and the host Thundering Herd (4-3). EMU advanced to the NCAA First Round where they fell at No. 8 Notre Dame, 0-4.
HOME SWEEP HOME
With their wins over Ferris State (Jan. 18), the Eagles have now won 13 consecutive home duals after reaching a perfect 11-0 last year. The last time Eastern fell in a home dual was in the finale of the 2022-23 season, a 5-2 setback to Miami, April 16, 2023, at the Chippewa Club.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
The 2025 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll was released Jan. 7 with the Eagles earning 35 points to rank third on the list behind Miami (48 points) and Toledo (38). The remaining rankings, which are based upon votes from the league's coaches, were Northern Illinois (30) in fourth, Ball State (35) fifth, Buffalo (23) sixth, Western Michigan (14) seventh, and Bowling Green (seven) eighth. Additionally, the coaches cast votes on who would win the MAC Tournament, which is slated for April 24-25 in Toledo, Ohio, with Miami earning five votes while EMU, Buffalo, and Toledo each earned one.
In Ryan Kucera's first season with the Eagles (2023-24), Eastern was voted tied for fourth in the preseason before finishing fourth and earning a berth in the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2018. EMU dropped a 4-3 decision to host Toledo in the semifinals.
LOOKING TO REPEAT
Last year, the Eagles finished fourth in the conference standings to earn the fourth and final position in the MAC Tournament, the team's first appearance in the conference event since the 2018 championships. Should Eastern return to the tournament this year, it would mark the first time the Eagles have qualified for the MAC Tournament in back-to-back seasons since earning berths in the 2014 and 2015 events. Eastern lost to Miami, 4-2, in the final of the 2014 event before falling to the RedHawks, 4-1, in the semifinals one year later.
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
Sabina Brichackova captured two wins at the MAC Fall Individuals in Hamilton, Ohio, Oct. 24-27, to record the 99th and 100th combined wins of her career. The senior is the first to reach 100 wins in a career since the 2017-18 season when both Ani Gogvadze (117) and Andrea Matrinovska (111) capped their careers in Ypsilanti.
UP THE LADDER
Sabina Brichackova and doubles partner Prerna Vichare reached the finals at the MAC Fall Individuals, Oct. 24-27, and finished as the runners-up in the inaugural event. With the two wins they collected, each moved closer to the all-time top 20 in doubles wins as they have 49 and 48, respectively. Currently, Miriam Westerink (2008-12) and Avi Gogvadze (2014-18) are tied for 19th with 56 wins, meaning Brichackova and Vichare are seven and eight wins, respectively, from joining the all-time top 20.
ON THE HORIZON
The Eagles will play a pair of duals next weekend with one each at home and on the road. Eastern will first travel to Cleveland, Ohio, to take on the Vikings of Cleveland State University, Feb. 14, in a 2 p.m. dual before returning home, Feb. 16, for a 2 p.m. meeting with the Bulldogs of Butler University inside the Chippewa Club.
FOLLOW US
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.
FIRST SERVES
» The Eagles are looking rebound from an 0-2 weekend trip through southwest Ohio after falling at Cincinnati (4-1) and Dayton (4-3).
» The Eagles are 4-for-4 in claiming the doubles point this season. EMU claimed 13-of-23 last year, one season removed from earning the point just four times.
» By going 2-0 in doubles last weekend, including posting the first of the two needed wins in each dual to claim the doubles point, freshmen Iva Daneva and Viki Hazmukova were named the MAC Doubles Team of the Week. Hazmukova is now 4-0 in doubles this dual season.
» Speaking of clinching, the doubles point was secured at Cincinnati by Sabina Brichackova and Prerna Vichare for their 52nd and 51st career doubles wins at EMU, respectively.
» The doubles point at Dayton was secured by Marta Komar and Regina Mendez. The win marked four consecutive seasons Komar has won at least one doubles match at the No. 1 position (past three years with Wayne State) while Mendez secured her first doubles win in dual competition at EMU.
» The Eagles will play two intrastate foes this weekend with Oakland at home, Feb. 1, and Michigan State on the road, Feb. 2. All-time, Eastern is 101-111 against fellow Michigan schools after sweeping a home doubleheader against Ferris State, Jan. 18.
» A win over Michigan State, a member of the Big Ten Conference, would mark the Eagles' first win over a Power 4 opponent since Feb. 6, 2004, when Eastern defeated the Spartans, 4-3.
» The 2025 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll was released Jan. 7 with the Eagles voted to finish third with 35 points while Miami (48) and Toledo (38) were ranked ahead of EMU. Eastern was voted to finish fourth one year ago and did so to earn its first MAC Tournament appearance since 2018.
» The Eagles' 2024-25 roster features 10 players, including six returnees and four newcomers. In total, nine different nations are represented on the roster, including the U.S., Argentina, Czechia, India, Israel, Mexico, North Macedonia, Poland, and Russia.
» Ryan Kucera returns for his second season as the team's head coach and will look to guide the team to the MAC Tournament for the second year in a row, which would mark the first time it has happened since the 2014 and 2015 tournaments.
» Players are not the only addition to the roster this year as the coaching staff has added both Masha Polishchuk and Andrew Dobbs. Polishchuk, a MAC champion during her playing career at Ball State, will serve as a graduate assistant coach while Dobbs will serve as an undergraduate assistant.
FEELING HONORED
The duo of Iva Daneva and Viki Hazmukova were named the MAC Doubles Team of the Week (Jan. 27) after the duo went 2-0 on the road and won the first doubles matches in each dual that led to the Eagles claiming both doubles points. The freshmen pair posted two wins of 6-2 with wins coming at No. 3 against Cincinnati and No. 2 against Dayton. For the season, Hazmukova is 4-0 in doubles play as the Eagles have captured the doubles point in all four duals played.
LID LIFTING RECAP
Following its 4-1 loss at Cincinnati, Eastern is now 15-33 all-time in its first road dual of the season and has now lost the last four. The last time the Eagles won their first road dual of the season was Jan. 30, 2021, in a 4-3 win at Cleveland State.
MITTEN MATCHES
Eastern will play six matches in 2025 against fellow Michigan schools with four being played at home and two on the road. The Eagles, who opened play with two wins against Ferris State, Jan. 18, stand 101-111 against intrastate competition. The Eagles can add to their win total with two Mitten Matches this weekend when they host Oakland (17-2 all-time), Feb. 1, and play at Michigan State (6-41), Feb. 2. The final two matches are MAC matches with Western Michigan (15-43), including on the road, March 21, and at home, March 28.
RUN IT BACK
For the second consecutive year, the Eagles will play host to Oakland one day before traveling to play at Michigan State. Last year, Eastern opened the weekend with a 6-1 home win, Feb. 10, 2024, before dropping a 4-0 decision to the Spartans, Feb. 11, 2024, in East Lansing.
KNOW THE FOE: OAKLAND
The Golden Grizzlies are 0-2 on the season after playing the opposite schedule of the Eagles last weekend, first falling, 4-3, at Dayton (Jan. 24) before dropping a 7-0 decision at Cincinnati (Jan. 25). Oakland will play at Northwood (Midland, Mich.) Jan. 31 before coming to Ypsilanti for what will be the Golden Grizzlies' fourth of 15 consecutive road matches to open the year. OU will play at home just twice this year when its hosts Northern Kentucky (April 4) and IU Indy (April 5) in Horizon League play.
IN THE SERIES: OAKLAND
Eastern is 17-2 all-time against Oakland and has won two consecutive meetings overall, including a 6-1 home decision, Feb. 10, 2024. The Eagles are also 12-1 all-time against the Golden Grizzlies when the dual is played in Ypsilanti with OU's lone win coming in a 4-3 decision, March 6, 2020, that snapped the Eagles' 12-match winning streak to start the series.
THE LAST TIME VS. OAKLAND
The Eagles and Golden Grizzlies played in Ypsilanti, Feb. 10, 2024, with EMU claiming a 6-1 decision. EMU won the doubles point with Daniella Shved and Prerna Vichare winning at No. 1 after Linda Eloundou and Andrea Quiroz won at No. 3. The Eagles went on to win 5-of-6 singles matches with Regina Mendez' 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 6 clinching the team win.
KNOW THE FOE: MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans are 2-2 on the year and have won two consecutive duals after dropping their first two of the year away from home. MSU, who will play Western Michigan (10 a.m.) ahead of taking on the Eagles four hours later, opened the year with a 5-2 loss at Gonzaga before dropping a 6-1 decision to Washington State in Spokane, Wash. The Spartans rebounded with a 4-3 home win over Xavier before downing visiting West Virginia, 6-1.
IN THE SERIES: MICHIGAN STATE
Eastern is 6-41 all-time against the Spartans and has dropped 16 consecutive duals, all of which have been played in East Lansing. The Eagles are 6-33 when playing the Spartans in East Lansing with EMU's last win coming in a 4-3 decision at MSU, Feb. 6, 2004.
THE LAST TIME VS. MICHIGAN STATE
EMU fell at Michigan State, 4-0, Feb. 11, 2024. The Spartans took 2-of-3 doubles matches to claim the first point before winning three singles bouts to claim the 4-0 victory in East Lansing.
LOOKING BACK: TOUGH ROAD TRIP
Eastern dropped both of its duals on the road last weekend, including a 4-1 loss at Cincinnati, Jan. 25, and a 4-3 decision at Dayton, Jan. 26. Despite the losses, the Eagles took the doubles point in both duals with Sabina Brichackova and Prerna Vichare clinching at No. 1 against the Bearcats and the team of Marta Komar and Regina Mendez clinching at No. 1 against the Flyers. The team of Iva Daneva and Viki Hazmukova won their matches in both duals to set up the doubles point. In singles play, Daneva (No. 4) and Mendez (No. 5) won at Dayton for EMU's lone wins.
POINTING IT OUT
During the 2022-23 season, the Eagles won the doubles point just four times in 15 duals (26.7 percent). With Ryan Kucera taking over last year, the 2023-24 squad won 13 doubles points in 23 duals (56.5 percent). Of those 13 wins, five each were secured at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions with the remaining three secured at No. 2. Through the road trip through Ohio (Jan. 25-26), the Eagles are 4-of-4 in doubles points with three coming at the No. 2 spot and one at No. 1.
ENDING A DROUGHT?
The goal every year is to win the MAC Tournament and earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament. The last time the Eagles were able to do so came in 2001 when they swept through the MAC Tournament hosted by Marshall with wins over Ball State (4-1), Western Michigan (4-2), and the host Thundering Herd (4-3). EMU advanced to the NCAA First Round where they fell at No. 8 Notre Dame, 0-4.
HOME SWEEP HOME
With their wins over Ferris State (Jan. 18), the Eagles have now won 13 consecutive home duals after reaching a perfect 11-0 last year. The last time Eastern fell in a home dual was in the finale of the 2022-23 season, a 5-2 setback to Miami, April 16, 2023, at the Chippewa Club.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
The 2025 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll was released Jan. 7 with the Eagles earning 35 points to rank third on the list behind Miami (48 points) and Toledo (38). The remaining rankings, which are based upon votes from the league's coaches, were Northern Illinois (30) in fourth, Ball State (35) fifth, Buffalo (23) sixth, Western Michigan (14) seventh, and Bowling Green (seven) eighth. Additionally, the coaches cast votes on who would win the MAC Tournament, which is slated for April 24-25 in Toledo, Ohio, with Miami earning five votes while EMU, Buffalo, and Toledo each earned one.
In Ryan Kucera's first season with the Eagles (2023-24), Eastern was voted tied for fourth in the preseason before finishing fourth and earning a berth in the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2018. EMU dropped a 4-3 decision to host Toledo in the semifinals.
LOOKING TO REPEAT
Last year, the Eagles finished fourth in the conference standings to earn the fourth and final position in the MAC Tournament, the team's first appearance in the conference event since the 2018 championships. Should Eastern return to the tournament this year, it would mark the first time the Eagles have qualified for the MAC Tournament in back-to-back seasons since earning berths in the 2014 and 2015 events. Eastern lost to Miami, 4-2, in the final of the 2014 event before falling to the RedHawks, 4-1, in the semifinals one year later.
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
Sabina Brichackova captured two wins at the MAC Fall Individuals in Hamilton, Ohio, Oct. 24-27, to record the 99th and 100th combined wins of her career. The senior is the first to reach 100 wins in a career since the 2017-18 season when both Ani Gogvadze (117) and Andrea Matrinovska (111) capped their careers in Ypsilanti.
UP THE LADDER
Sabina Brichackova and doubles partner Prerna Vichare reached the finals at the MAC Fall Individuals, Oct. 24-27, and finished as the runners-up in the inaugural event. With the two wins they collected, each moved closer to the all-time top 20 in doubles wins as they have 49 and 48, respectively. Currently, Miriam Westerink (2008-12) and Avi Gogvadze (2014-18) are tied for 19th with 56 wins, meaning Brichackova and Vichare are seven and eight wins, respectively, from joining the all-time top 20.
ON THE HORIZON
The Eagles will play a pair of duals next weekend with one each at home and on the road. Eastern will first travel to Cleveland, Ohio, to take on the Vikings of Cleveland State University, Feb. 14, in a 2 p.m. dual before returning home, Feb. 16, for a 2 p.m. meeting with the Bulldogs of Butler University inside the Chippewa Club.
FOLLOW US
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.
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