Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan Tennis Signs Dasha Savina for 2026-27
11/24/2025 2:30:00 PM | Tennis
Kazakh junior will bring an extensive playing resume to Ypsilanti next year
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Ryan Kucera, head coach of the Eastern Michigan University tennis program, announced today, Nov. 24, Dasha Savina has signed an Athletic Financial Aid Agreement to continue her academic and athletic career with the Eagles and will join the program ahead of the 2026-27 academic year. A native of Almaty, Kazakhstan, Savina will come to the United States after playing matches throughout much of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dasha to the Eastern Michigan Tennis family," Kucera said. "On the court, she is an exceptional athlete with a dynamic skill set and a lot of weapons. When I first met her, what stood out immediately was her competitiveness and her drive to be great. Dasha is consistently trending upward and challenging herself against top players around the world. She's excited to be an Eagle and I know she will thrive within the strong culture we've built here."
Savina, who attends Gymnasium 7 in Minsk, Belarus, carries a career-best ranking of No. 564 in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rankings and holds a best of 8.86 in the Universal Tennis Rankings (UTR). Coached by Andrei Novikov, Savina has been busy in 2025 as she has played in 39 matches and sports a 24-15 record in tournaments across five countries, including Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The highlights of her 2025 campaign included winning the J30 Yerevan tournament in singles after finishing as the runner-up in both singles and doubles at another Yerevan J30 event.
The current members of the Eastern Michigan program are preparing for the start of the 2026 season, which gets underway Jan. 17 when the Eagles play host to Cleveland State University inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti.
Eastern Michigan Tennis Signee Biography
Dasha Savina
Freshman • 5-6
Almaty, Kazakhstan (Gymnasium 7 Minsk (Belarus))
HIGH SCHOOL: Attends Gymnasium 7 in Minsk, Belarus... Holds a career-high ITF ranking of No. 564 and a UTF ranking of 8.86... Has compiled a 24-15 overall record in singles play in 2025... Played in tournaments in five different nations, including Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan... Played in a pair of tournaments in Yerevan, Armenia, where she won the J30 singles title... Added runner-up finishes in both singles and doubles at another J30 event in Yerevan... PERSONAL: Full Name: Darya Savina... Daughter of Ilia and Madina Savina... Has three siblings, including brothers Mikhail and Sergey, and sister Zoya... Finance major.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dasha to the Eastern Michigan Tennis family," Kucera said. "On the court, she is an exceptional athlete with a dynamic skill set and a lot of weapons. When I first met her, what stood out immediately was her competitiveness and her drive to be great. Dasha is consistently trending upward and challenging herself against top players around the world. She's excited to be an Eagle and I know she will thrive within the strong culture we've built here."
Savina, who attends Gymnasium 7 in Minsk, Belarus, carries a career-best ranking of No. 564 in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rankings and holds a best of 8.86 in the Universal Tennis Rankings (UTR). Coached by Andrei Novikov, Savina has been busy in 2025 as she has played in 39 matches and sports a 24-15 record in tournaments across five countries, including Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The highlights of her 2025 campaign included winning the J30 Yerevan tournament in singles after finishing as the runner-up in both singles and doubles at another Yerevan J30 event.
The current members of the Eastern Michigan program are preparing for the start of the 2026 season, which gets underway Jan. 17 when the Eagles play host to Cleveland State University inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti.
Eastern Michigan Tennis Signee Biography
Dasha Savina
Freshman • 5-6
Almaty, Kazakhstan (Gymnasium 7 Minsk (Belarus))
HIGH SCHOOL: Attends Gymnasium 7 in Minsk, Belarus... Holds a career-high ITF ranking of No. 564 and a UTF ranking of 8.86... Has compiled a 24-15 overall record in singles play in 2025... Played in tournaments in five different nations, including Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan... Played in a pair of tournaments in Yerevan, Armenia, where she won the J30 singles title... Added runner-up finishes in both singles and doubles at another J30 event in Yerevan... PERSONAL: Full Name: Darya Savina... Daughter of Ilia and Madina Savina... Has three siblings, including brothers Mikhail and Sergey, and sister Zoya... Finance major.
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