Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, January 17
Ypsilanti, Mich.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
6
vs
1
Cleveland State
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Tennis Opens 2026 with 6-1 Home Win over Cleveland State
1/17/2026 5:46:00 PM | Tennis
Four freshmen helped the Eagles to victory in their season-opening match
Highlights | Photos
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University tennis team shook off early rust and battled throughout the day to secure a 6-1 victory in their 2026 season opener against visiting Cleveland State University Saturday, Jan. 17, inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. The Eagle (1-0) captured the doubles point before claiming wins in 5-of-6 singles matches to capture the team win over the Vikings (0-1) in the first match of the season for both sides.
"What a great start by the Eagles," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said following the victory. "I knew there would be a lot of nerves; we've got a lot of girls that are either new, playing in a new position, or coming back from an injury. Cleveland State came out firing in that doubles point, but we kept chipping away and responding to the pressure and returning it. Sabrina (Tolstova) and Matilde (Parreira) were incredible, playing relentlessly, and moving forward so well. Iva (Daneva) and Reg (Mendez Carreño) did such a great job, too, as they stayed positive, played together, and took the point for us. They had to do a lot of problem-solving and really trust themselves.
"Going into the singles, we really stayed disciplined to our patterns and trusted our shot tolerance," Kucera continued. "Cyl (Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya) was suffocating today and brought a lot of energy to help the team. [The] same thing with Sabrina. Lara (Diaz Zayas), playing her first match at No. 1, was so mentally tough and really trusted herself. Same thing with Pehal (Kharadkar) and Regina to finish the match. It was a great team win and all the girls that were available contributed. We know we haven't tapped the surface of our tennis potential yet but, to see us compete like that, bring great energy for one another, and play with composure means that there's a ton to build off!"
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead in the team scoring as they captured two of three doubles matches to secure the doubles point. Freshmen Matilde Parreira (Leiria, Portugal/Escola Secundária Afonso Lopes) and Sabrina Tolstova (Odesa, Ukraine/Tennisquick Los Cristianos) combined for a 6-2 win at No. 2 before the Vikings won at No. 1 (6-4) to see the point decided at No. 3. In that match, sophomore Iva Daneva (Kavadarci, North Macedonia/DSU Sportska Akademija), in her first action of the 2025-26 season, and senior Regina Mendez Carreño (Los Cabos, Mexico/Picacho McGregor) combined to come back from an early deficit before winning the tiebreaker and securing the doubles point with their 7-6(4) decision.
The teams jumped into singles action where freshman Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya (Serang, Indonesia/SMAN 2 Kota Serang) captured a quick 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 2 before the Vikings secured their lone point of the day with a No. 5. From there, it was all Eagles with Tolstova grabbing a 6-2, 6-2 decision at No. 3 before Lara Diaz Zayas (Mar de Ajo, Argentina/SEADEA) secured the team victory with her 6-4, 7-6(2) win at No. 1. The final two matches also finished in favor of the hosts as freshman Pehal Kharadkar (Indore, India/Daly College Indore) scored a 6-3, 4-6, 1-0(11) win at No. 4 before Mendez Carreño closed out the dual with her 7-6(10), 6-1 win, a victory her earned after trailing, 4-1, in the first set.
NOTING SINGLES PLAY
» Three freshmen played their first singles duals a collegiate competitor with each securing wins, including Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya at No. 2, Sabrina Tolstova at No. 3, and Pehel Kharadkar at No. 4.
» Regina Mendez Carreño captured the 25th win of singles career with the Eagles. She also improved to 7-9 all-time when playing in the No. 6 position for Eastern.
» Lara Diaz Zayas won her debut at No. 1 singles for the Eagles after playing at the Nos. 4-6 positions last year where she was 6-6.
» Iva Daneva returned to the lineup for the first time in nearly one year. Last year, she played in the first three matches of the spring season before an injury sidelined her.
NOTING DOUBLES PLAY
» Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova combined to play in their 13th match together in their young collegiate careers as the freshmen duo is now 5-8 together and have won two consecutive matches.
» The team of Iva Daneva and Regina Mendez Carreño played their first match together and secured a victory at the No. 3 position.
NOTING THE TEAM
» Eastern improved to 6-2 all-time in its series with Cleveland State and 3-1 when playing host to the Vikings in Ypsilanti.
» With the win, the Eagles improved to 25-24 all-time in their first match of the season and secured consecutive wins in lid lifters after dropping three in a row. EMU defeated Ferris State, 7-0, last year to open the 2025 campaign.
» The Eagles moved to 14-2 with the win when playing its season-opening match at home.
» Eastern improved to 32-17 in its home opener and has now won five consecutive home debuts. The streak is the second-longest in program history behind the eight consecutive wins secured by the 1990-97 squads.
» Since taking over ahead of the 2023-24 season, Ryan Kucera's Eagles have done well to defend their home turf as Eastern improved to 22-2 in that time. The Eagles went 11-0 in 2024 and 10-2 last year.
» Under Ryan Kucera, the Eagles have had a resurgence in winning the doubles point. By taking the point against CSU, Eastern has won 28-of-47 points (59.6 percent) under Kucera.
Up Next
Eastern is back in action Monday, Jan. 19, with a doubleheader at Ferris State University. The two matches, scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and approximately 2 p.m., will be played inside the Racquet & Fitness Center in Big Rapids, Mich.
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).
Eastern Michigan def. Cleveland State, 6-1
Singles
#1: Lara Diaz Zayas (EM) def. Ella Franz, 6-4, 7-6(2)
#2: Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya (EM) def. Jenna Redmile, 6-2, 6-1
#3: Sabrina Tolstova (EM) def. Anna Mancino, 6-2, 6-2
#4: Pehel Kharadkar (EM) def. Laura Tapia, 6-3, 4-6, 1-0(11)
#5: Leah Geisz (CS) def. Iva Daneva, 6-1, 6-2
#6: Regina Mendez Carreño (EM) def. Melliz Petkova Mustafa, 7-6(10), 6-1
Order of Finish: 2, 5, 3, 1, 4, 6
Doubles
#1: Franz/Mustafa (CS) def. Diaz Zayas/Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya, 6-4
#2: Matilde Parreira/Tolstova (EM) def. Redmile/Tapia, 6-2
#3: Daneva/Mendez Carreño (EM) def. Geisz/Mancino, 7-6(4)
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University tennis team shook off early rust and battled throughout the day to secure a 6-1 victory in their 2026 season opener against visiting Cleveland State University Saturday, Jan. 17, inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. The Eagle (1-0) captured the doubles point before claiming wins in 5-of-6 singles matches to capture the team win over the Vikings (0-1) in the first match of the season for both sides.
"What a great start by the Eagles," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said following the victory. "I knew there would be a lot of nerves; we've got a lot of girls that are either new, playing in a new position, or coming back from an injury. Cleveland State came out firing in that doubles point, but we kept chipping away and responding to the pressure and returning it. Sabrina (Tolstova) and Matilde (Parreira) were incredible, playing relentlessly, and moving forward so well. Iva (Daneva) and Reg (Mendez Carreño) did such a great job, too, as they stayed positive, played together, and took the point for us. They had to do a lot of problem-solving and really trust themselves.
"Going into the singles, we really stayed disciplined to our patterns and trusted our shot tolerance," Kucera continued. "Cyl (Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya) was suffocating today and brought a lot of energy to help the team. [The] same thing with Sabrina. Lara (Diaz Zayas), playing her first match at No. 1, was so mentally tough and really trusted herself. Same thing with Pehal (Kharadkar) and Regina to finish the match. It was a great team win and all the girls that were available contributed. We know we haven't tapped the surface of our tennis potential yet but, to see us compete like that, bring great energy for one another, and play with composure means that there's a ton to build off!"
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead in the team scoring as they captured two of three doubles matches to secure the doubles point. Freshmen Matilde Parreira (Leiria, Portugal/Escola Secundária Afonso Lopes) and Sabrina Tolstova (Odesa, Ukraine/Tennisquick Los Cristianos) combined for a 6-2 win at No. 2 before the Vikings won at No. 1 (6-4) to see the point decided at No. 3. In that match, sophomore Iva Daneva (Kavadarci, North Macedonia/DSU Sportska Akademija), in her first action of the 2025-26 season, and senior Regina Mendez Carreño (Los Cabos, Mexico/Picacho McGregor) combined to come back from an early deficit before winning the tiebreaker and securing the doubles point with their 7-6(4) decision.
The teams jumped into singles action where freshman Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya (Serang, Indonesia/SMAN 2 Kota Serang) captured a quick 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 2 before the Vikings secured their lone point of the day with a No. 5. From there, it was all Eagles with Tolstova grabbing a 6-2, 6-2 decision at No. 3 before Lara Diaz Zayas (Mar de Ajo, Argentina/SEADEA) secured the team victory with her 6-4, 7-6(2) win at No. 1. The final two matches also finished in favor of the hosts as freshman Pehal Kharadkar (Indore, India/Daly College Indore) scored a 6-3, 4-6, 1-0(11) win at No. 4 before Mendez Carreño closed out the dual with her 7-6(10), 6-1 win, a victory her earned after trailing, 4-1, in the first set.
NOTING SINGLES PLAY
» Three freshmen played their first singles duals a collegiate competitor with each securing wins, including Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya at No. 2, Sabrina Tolstova at No. 3, and Pehel Kharadkar at No. 4.
» Regina Mendez Carreño captured the 25th win of singles career with the Eagles. She also improved to 7-9 all-time when playing in the No. 6 position for Eastern.
» Lara Diaz Zayas won her debut at No. 1 singles for the Eagles after playing at the Nos. 4-6 positions last year where she was 6-6.
» Iva Daneva returned to the lineup for the first time in nearly one year. Last year, she played in the first three matches of the spring season before an injury sidelined her.
NOTING DOUBLES PLAY
» Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova combined to play in their 13th match together in their young collegiate careers as the freshmen duo is now 5-8 together and have won two consecutive matches.
» The team of Iva Daneva and Regina Mendez Carreño played their first match together and secured a victory at the No. 3 position.
NOTING THE TEAM
» Eastern improved to 6-2 all-time in its series with Cleveland State and 3-1 when playing host to the Vikings in Ypsilanti.
» With the win, the Eagles improved to 25-24 all-time in their first match of the season and secured consecutive wins in lid lifters after dropping three in a row. EMU defeated Ferris State, 7-0, last year to open the 2025 campaign.
» The Eagles moved to 14-2 with the win when playing its season-opening match at home.
» Eastern improved to 32-17 in its home opener and has now won five consecutive home debuts. The streak is the second-longest in program history behind the eight consecutive wins secured by the 1990-97 squads.
» Since taking over ahead of the 2023-24 season, Ryan Kucera's Eagles have done well to defend their home turf as Eastern improved to 22-2 in that time. The Eagles went 11-0 in 2024 and 10-2 last year.
» Under Ryan Kucera, the Eagles have had a resurgence in winning the doubles point. By taking the point against CSU, Eastern has won 28-of-47 points (59.6 percent) under Kucera.
Up Next
Eastern is back in action Monday, Jan. 19, with a doubleheader at Ferris State University. The two matches, scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and approximately 2 p.m., will be played inside the Racquet & Fitness Center in Big Rapids, Mich.
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).
Eastern Michigan def. Cleveland State, 6-1
Singles
#1: Lara Diaz Zayas (EM) def. Ella Franz, 6-4, 7-6(2)
#2: Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya (EM) def. Jenna Redmile, 6-2, 6-1
#3: Sabrina Tolstova (EM) def. Anna Mancino, 6-2, 6-2
#4: Pehel Kharadkar (EM) def. Laura Tapia, 6-3, 4-6, 1-0(11)
#5: Leah Geisz (CS) def. Iva Daneva, 6-1, 6-2
#6: Regina Mendez Carreño (EM) def. Melliz Petkova Mustafa, 7-6(10), 6-1
Order of Finish: 2, 5, 3, 1, 4, 6
Doubles
#1: Franz/Mustafa (CS) def. Diaz Zayas/Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya, 6-4
#2: Matilde Parreira/Tolstova (EM) def. Redmile/Tapia, 6-2
#3: Daneva/Mendez Carreño (EM) def. Geisz/Mancino, 7-6(4)
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
12
Franz, Ella / 0 [CS]
46
67
#2 Singles Match
12
Redmile, Jenna / 0 [CS]
21
66
#3 Singles Match
12
Mancino, Anna / 0 [CS]
22
66
#4 Singles Match
123
Tapia, Laura / 0 [CS]
360
641
#5 Singles Match
12
Geisz, Leah / 0 [CS]
66
12
#6 Singles Match
12
Mustafa, Melliz Petk / 0 [CS]
61
76
Order of Finish:
2,5,3,1,4,6
Players Mentioned
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