Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sunday, March 16
DeKalb, IL
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
2
at
5
Northern Illinois
Tennis Drops MAC Opener at Northern Illinois, 5-2
3/16/2025 8:04:00 PM | Tennis
Vichare led the way with her wins in both singles and doubles action
DeKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision at Northern Illinois University Sunday, March 16, in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams that was played inside the Nelson Tennis Center in DeKalb, Ill. The Eagles (7-7, 0-1 MAC) captured the doubles point and took a 2-0 lead with Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) claiming a win in singles action, but the Huskies (13-3, 1-0 MAC) would go on to win the next five to claim the team win.
"Today was a really high-level tennis match," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said. "The doubles point was back and forth. Daniella Shved and Lara Diaz Zayas did an excellent job to stay composed and battle back to take that point. From there, it was a high-level battle on all six courts. Credit to NIU; they maintained their level all the way through the match and were tough on the big points. I know it burns the girls to let the match slip away. Every MAC match is going to be a battle and we will use this to push us forward."
For the second consecutive match, the duo of Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czechia/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) and Vichare got the ball rolling as they won their No. 1 doubles match, 6-2, before the team of Lara Diaz Zayas (Mar de Ajo, Argentina/SEADEA) and Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) secured the point with their 7-5 win at No. 3. The win for Brichackova pushed her to 57 career doubles wins to move to 19th on the program's all-time list while Vichare's win totals moved to 55, leaving her one away from joining Brichackova in the top 20.
Leading, 1-0, the Eagles extended their lead to 2-0 as Vichare won, 7-5, 6-4, at No. 3 singles. From there, however, the Huskies would win the next five matches to close out the dual. Brichackova, playing at No. 4, Viki Hazmukova (Skvorec, Czechia/Skoly Brezova), playing at No. 2, Shved, playing at No. 1, and Marta Komar (Inowroclaw, Poland/Sopocka (Sopot) Tennis Academy/Wayne State), playing at No. 5, all battled to three sets, but were unable to claim wins.
Match Notes
» Sabina Brichackova and Prerna Vichare played their 68th career doubles match together with the duo standing 39-22 overall with six matches that ended unfinished/abandoned.
» Sabina Brichackova collected her 57th career doubles victory to move into 19th place on the program's all-time doubles victories list, breaking the tie with Miriam Westerink (2008-12) and Avi Gogvadze (2014-18), who are now 20th with 56 wins. Prerna Vichare recorded her 55th career doubles win, leaving her one away from tying for 20th.
» The win at No. 3 doubles for Lara Diaz Zayas and Daniella Shved moved the duo to 6-1 on the year as they collected their fifth consecutive win together. They clinched the doubles point for the second consecutive match and lead the team with three clinching points won this season.
» Prerna Vichare won all three matches she played this week, including her No. 3 singles match at Northern Illinois to go along with doubles wins. With those wins, she has captured 90 career combined wins with the Eagles, leaving her 10 away from becoming just the 20th player to reach 100 combined wins at EMU.
Up Next
Two Mid-American Conference matches await Eastern Michigan next weekend as the Eagles will play once each at home and away. The weekend opens Friday, March 21, when the Eagles head to Kalamazoo, Mich., to face Western Michigan University in a 1 p.m. match. The weekend ends Sunday, March 23, when the Cardinals of Ball State University come to town for a 1 p.m. match at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti.
Follow Us
Stay up to date with EMU tennis by following the team on its social media channels. The team can be found on Instagram (@emu_tennis), X (@EMUEaglesTennis), and Facebook (EMUTennis).
Northern Illinois def. Eastern Michigan, 5-2
Singles
#1: Maria Dzemeshkevich (NI) def. Daniella Shved, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
#2: Irmak Budak (NI) def. Viki Hazmukova, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
#3: Prerna Vichare (EM) def. Erika Dimitriev, 7-5, 6-4
#4: Nataly Ninova (NI) def. Sabina Brichackova, 6-7(0), 6-4, 6-1
#5: Lucia Yecora (NI) def. Marta Komar, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3
#6: Isabella Righi (NI) def. Regina Mendez, 6-2, 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 4, 2, 1, 5, 6
Doubles
#1: S. Brichackova / P. Vichare (EM) def. M. Dzemeshkevich / N. Ninova, 6-2
#2: I. Righi / L. Yecora (NI) def. V. Hazmukova / M. Komar, 6-3
#3: Lara Diaz Zayas / D. Shved (EM) def. Jenna Horne / Reagan Welch, 7-5
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
"Today was a really high-level tennis match," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said. "The doubles point was back and forth. Daniella Shved and Lara Diaz Zayas did an excellent job to stay composed and battle back to take that point. From there, it was a high-level battle on all six courts. Credit to NIU; they maintained their level all the way through the match and were tough on the big points. I know it burns the girls to let the match slip away. Every MAC match is going to be a battle and we will use this to push us forward."
For the second consecutive match, the duo of Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czechia/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) and Vichare got the ball rolling as they won their No. 1 doubles match, 6-2, before the team of Lara Diaz Zayas (Mar de Ajo, Argentina/SEADEA) and Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) secured the point with their 7-5 win at No. 3. The win for Brichackova pushed her to 57 career doubles wins to move to 19th on the program's all-time list while Vichare's win totals moved to 55, leaving her one away from joining Brichackova in the top 20.
Leading, 1-0, the Eagles extended their lead to 2-0 as Vichare won, 7-5, 6-4, at No. 3 singles. From there, however, the Huskies would win the next five matches to close out the dual. Brichackova, playing at No. 4, Viki Hazmukova (Skvorec, Czechia/Skoly Brezova), playing at No. 2, Shved, playing at No. 1, and Marta Komar (Inowroclaw, Poland/Sopocka (Sopot) Tennis Academy/Wayne State), playing at No. 5, all battled to three sets, but were unable to claim wins.
Match Notes
» Sabina Brichackova and Prerna Vichare played their 68th career doubles match together with the duo standing 39-22 overall with six matches that ended unfinished/abandoned.
» Sabina Brichackova collected her 57th career doubles victory to move into 19th place on the program's all-time doubles victories list, breaking the tie with Miriam Westerink (2008-12) and Avi Gogvadze (2014-18), who are now 20th with 56 wins. Prerna Vichare recorded her 55th career doubles win, leaving her one away from tying for 20th.
» The win at No. 3 doubles for Lara Diaz Zayas and Daniella Shved moved the duo to 6-1 on the year as they collected their fifth consecutive win together. They clinched the doubles point for the second consecutive match and lead the team with three clinching points won this season.
» Prerna Vichare won all three matches she played this week, including her No. 3 singles match at Northern Illinois to go along with doubles wins. With those wins, she has captured 90 career combined wins with the Eagles, leaving her 10 away from becoming just the 20th player to reach 100 combined wins at EMU.
Up Next
Two Mid-American Conference matches await Eastern Michigan next weekend as the Eagles will play once each at home and away. The weekend opens Friday, March 21, when the Eagles head to Kalamazoo, Mich., to face Western Michigan University in a 1 p.m. match. The weekend ends Sunday, March 23, when the Cardinals of Ball State University come to town for a 1 p.m. match at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti.
Follow Us
Stay up to date with EMU tennis by following the team on its social media channels. The team can be found on Instagram (@emu_tennis), X (@EMUEaglesTennis), and Facebook (EMUTennis).
Northern Illinois def. Eastern Michigan, 5-2
Singles
#1: Maria Dzemeshkevich (NI) def. Daniella Shved, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
#2: Irmak Budak (NI) def. Viki Hazmukova, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
#3: Prerna Vichare (EM) def. Erika Dimitriev, 7-5, 6-4
#4: Nataly Ninova (NI) def. Sabina Brichackova, 6-7(0), 6-4, 6-1
#5: Lucia Yecora (NI) def. Marta Komar, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3
#6: Isabella Righi (NI) def. Regina Mendez, 6-2, 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 4, 2, 1, 5, 6
Doubles
#1: S. Brichackova / P. Vichare (EM) def. M. Dzemeshkevich / N. Ninova, 6-2
#2: I. Righi / L. Yecora (NI) def. V. Hazmukova / M. Komar, 6-3
#3: Lara Diaz Zayas / D. Shved (EM) def. Jenna Horne / Reagan Welch, 7-5
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Players Mentioned
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