Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, January 24
Loretto, Pa.
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
4
at
2
St. Francis (Pa.)
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Tennis Remains Perfect with 4-2 Road Victory at St. Francis
1/24/2026 7:29:00 PM | Tennis
Eastern is off to its best start (5-0) in 23 years after winning four consecutive road matches
EBENSBURG, Pa. (EMUEagles.com) -- Despite plummeting temperatures around the nation, the Eastern Michigan University tennis team continued its hot start to the 2026 spring season as the Eagles scored a 4-2 win over St. Francis University Saturday, Jan. 24, inside the Ebensburg Tennis Center in Ebensburg, Pa. The Eagles (5-0) are off to their best start in 23 years and secured the 550th victory in program history with their defeat of the Red Flashes (1-4) on the road.
"[It was] great to get a win here," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said. "We played another great doubles point. I thought all three teams played with a great amount of belief and commitment. It's awesome when our doubles point is clicking; we're formidable at every spot. St Francis deserves a ton of credit; they brought it in singles. They definitely pushed us and made us uncomfortable. Sabrina (Tolstova) was huge, keeping her composure in a lot of stressful moments. Pehal (Kharadkar), Reg (Mendez Carreño) and Matilde (Parreira) deserve a ton of credit for taking care of business under pressure. I am happy we were able to stay the course and get over the line. A very positive match that we will learn a lot from."
HOW IT HAPPENED
For the fifth time in five matches in 2026, the Eagles jumped out to a 1-0 lead as they once again secured the doubles point. The team of Lara Diaz Zayas (Mar de Ajo, Argentina/SEADEA) and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya (Serang, Indonesia/SMAN 2 Kota Serang) got things started with a quick 6-1 win at No. 1 before the freshmen duo of Matilde Parreira (Leiria, Portugal/Escola Secundária Afonso Lopes) and Sabrina Tolstova (Odesa, Ukraine/Tennisquick Los Cristianos) locked down the doubles point with their 6-2 win at No. 2. The No. 3 squad of Iva Daneva (Kavadarci, North Macedonia/DSU Sportska Akademija) and Regina Mendez Carreño (Los Cabos, Mexico/Picacho McGregor) were closing in on victory and led, 5-2, before their match was abandoned as the Eagles had already claimed the doubles point.
Once singles play got underway, the hosts took the lead at 2-1 as they secured wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Despite trailing, the Eagles rebounded nicely as they would win the next three matches to tally the 4-2 win. Pehal Kharadkar (Indore, India/Daly College Indore) continued her strong start as she moved to 4-0 in singles play with her quick 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 4 to tie the team scored before Tolstova battled her way to a win in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5(5), at No. 3. With two matches to play, the Eagles ended the match as Parreira tallied a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 6 to close out the day.
NOTING SINGLES PLAY
» Pehal Kharadkar continued her hot start to the spring season as she captured her fourth win this week with her third straight-sets victory. The win against the Red Flashes marked her first singles win that did not clinch the team point for the Eagles after she accomplished the feat twice against Ferris State (Jan. 19) and one day earlier at Youngstown State (Jan. 23). Kharadkar also was the first player on the team to reach 10 singles victories this season as she stands 10-5 overall.
» Matilde Parreira secured the clinching point for the Eagles for the first time in her career with her win at No. 6. The win helped her improve to 4-0 in singles play this spring and became the second player on the team with 10 wins as she stands 10-9 overall.
» Sabrina Tolstova bounced back from her first loss of the spring with a gritty three-set victory that included a third-set tiebreaker. Tolstova was 3-1 on the week for the Eagles to help them to four team victories.
NOTING DOUBLES PLAY
» Matilde Parreria and Sabrina Tolstova won their team-leading eighth doubles match of the season and their third of the week as they clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 win at No. 2. It marked the second time they clinched the doubles point this week after doing so at Ferris State from the No. 1 position (Jan. 19).
» Lara Diaz Zayas and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya scored their fourth win in as many matches this week as they secured a 6-1 victory at No. 1. After heading into the week with a 2-4 record, the duo is now 6-4 on the year.
NOTING THE TEAM
» With the win, the Eagles stayed perfect at 5-0 on the year while the Red Flashes fell to 1-4.
» The win improved the program's all-time record to 550-467 as it is currently playing its 49th varsity season.
» The Eagles are now 2-0 all-time against the Red Flashes and are 2-0 on the road at St. Francis as well.
» Eastern is off to a 5-0 start to the season for just the third time and the first since the 2002-03 team opened its campaign at 6-0. The only other team on the list is the 1983-84 team that also started 6-0.
» The win extended the Eagles' current winning streak to eight consecutive matches that includes the final three contests of the 2025 season coupled with the first five this year. It is the longest win streak for the team since the 2017-18 campaign when EMU secured nine consecutive victories.
» Eastern is now 4-0 on the road this year, marking the fifth time in program history the Eagles have opened a campaign with at least four consecutive wins away from home. It also is the first time since the 2002-03 season the feat has been accomplished as the Eagles started 6-0 on the road that season. The other teams to open at 4-0 or better away from home include the teams from 1983-84 (6-0), 1982-83 (4-0), and 1981-82 (4-0).
Up Next
Two 'Mitten Matches' await the Eagles next week with one each at home and on the road against fellow Michigan schools. The Eagles open the set by welcoming Oakland University to town for a 1 p.m. contest, Jan. 31, inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. Eastern will then head north to East Lansing one day later (Feb. 1) to face Michigan State University at 2 p.m.
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. St. Francis (Pa.), 4-2
Singles
#1: Gaby Almanza (SF) def. Lara Diaz Zayas, 6-1, 6-0
#2: Dasha Chichkina (SF) def. Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
#3: Sabrina Tolstova (EM) def. Helena Lynn, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(5)
#4: Pehal Kharadkar (EM) def. Sophia Cunningham, 6-1, 6-2
#5: Regina Mendez Carreño (EM) led Gretta Rhodes, 6-3, 5-0 abandoned
#6: Matilde Parreira (EM) def. Julia Ritchey, 6-0, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1,2,4,3,6
Doubles
#1: Lara Diaz Zayas/Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya (EM) def. Dasha Chichkina/Helena Lynn, 6-1
#2: Matilde Parreira/Sabrina Tolstova (EM) def. Gaby Almanza/Sophia Cunningham, 6-2
#3: Iva Daneva/Regina Mendez Carreño (EM) led Gretta Rhodes/Julia Ritchey (SF), 5-2 abandoned
Order of Finish: 1, 2
"[It was] great to get a win here," Head Coach Ryan Kucera said. "We played another great doubles point. I thought all three teams played with a great amount of belief and commitment. It's awesome when our doubles point is clicking; we're formidable at every spot. St Francis deserves a ton of credit; they brought it in singles. They definitely pushed us and made us uncomfortable. Sabrina (Tolstova) was huge, keeping her composure in a lot of stressful moments. Pehal (Kharadkar), Reg (Mendez Carreño) and Matilde (Parreira) deserve a ton of credit for taking care of business under pressure. I am happy we were able to stay the course and get over the line. A very positive match that we will learn a lot from."
HOW IT HAPPENED
For the fifth time in five matches in 2026, the Eagles jumped out to a 1-0 lead as they once again secured the doubles point. The team of Lara Diaz Zayas (Mar de Ajo, Argentina/SEADEA) and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya (Serang, Indonesia/SMAN 2 Kota Serang) got things started with a quick 6-1 win at No. 1 before the freshmen duo of Matilde Parreira (Leiria, Portugal/Escola Secundária Afonso Lopes) and Sabrina Tolstova (Odesa, Ukraine/Tennisquick Los Cristianos) locked down the doubles point with their 6-2 win at No. 2. The No. 3 squad of Iva Daneva (Kavadarci, North Macedonia/DSU Sportska Akademija) and Regina Mendez Carreño (Los Cabos, Mexico/Picacho McGregor) were closing in on victory and led, 5-2, before their match was abandoned as the Eagles had already claimed the doubles point.
Once singles play got underway, the hosts took the lead at 2-1 as they secured wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Despite trailing, the Eagles rebounded nicely as they would win the next three matches to tally the 4-2 win. Pehal Kharadkar (Indore, India/Daly College Indore) continued her strong start as she moved to 4-0 in singles play with her quick 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 4 to tie the team scored before Tolstova battled her way to a win in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5(5), at No. 3. With two matches to play, the Eagles ended the match as Parreira tallied a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 6 to close out the day.
NOTING SINGLES PLAY
» Pehal Kharadkar continued her hot start to the spring season as she captured her fourth win this week with her third straight-sets victory. The win against the Red Flashes marked her first singles win that did not clinch the team point for the Eagles after she accomplished the feat twice against Ferris State (Jan. 19) and one day earlier at Youngstown State (Jan. 23). Kharadkar also was the first player on the team to reach 10 singles victories this season as she stands 10-5 overall.
» Matilde Parreira secured the clinching point for the Eagles for the first time in her career with her win at No. 6. The win helped her improve to 4-0 in singles play this spring and became the second player on the team with 10 wins as she stands 10-9 overall.
» Sabrina Tolstova bounced back from her first loss of the spring with a gritty three-set victory that included a third-set tiebreaker. Tolstova was 3-1 on the week for the Eagles to help them to four team victories.
NOTING DOUBLES PLAY
» Matilde Parreria and Sabrina Tolstova won their team-leading eighth doubles match of the season and their third of the week as they clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 win at No. 2. It marked the second time they clinched the doubles point this week after doing so at Ferris State from the No. 1 position (Jan. 19).
» Lara Diaz Zayas and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya scored their fourth win in as many matches this week as they secured a 6-1 victory at No. 1. After heading into the week with a 2-4 record, the duo is now 6-4 on the year.
NOTING THE TEAM
» With the win, the Eagles stayed perfect at 5-0 on the year while the Red Flashes fell to 1-4.
» The win improved the program's all-time record to 550-467 as it is currently playing its 49th varsity season.
» The Eagles are now 2-0 all-time against the Red Flashes and are 2-0 on the road at St. Francis as well.
» Eastern is off to a 5-0 start to the season for just the third time and the first since the 2002-03 team opened its campaign at 6-0. The only other team on the list is the 1983-84 team that also started 6-0.
» The win extended the Eagles' current winning streak to eight consecutive matches that includes the final three contests of the 2025 season coupled with the first five this year. It is the longest win streak for the team since the 2017-18 campaign when EMU secured nine consecutive victories.
» Eastern is now 4-0 on the road this year, marking the fifth time in program history the Eagles have opened a campaign with at least four consecutive wins away from home. It also is the first time since the 2002-03 season the feat has been accomplished as the Eagles started 6-0 on the road that season. The other teams to open at 4-0 or better away from home include the teams from 1983-84 (6-0), 1982-83 (4-0), and 1981-82 (4-0).
Up Next
Two 'Mitten Matches' await the Eagles next week with one each at home and on the road against fellow Michigan schools. The Eagles open the set by welcoming Oakland University to town for a 1 p.m. contest, Jan. 31, inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. Eastern will then head north to East Lansing one day later (Feb. 1) to face Michigan State University at 2 p.m.
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. St. Francis (Pa.), 4-2
Singles
#1: Gaby Almanza (SF) def. Lara Diaz Zayas, 6-1, 6-0
#2: Dasha Chichkina (SF) def. Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
#3: Sabrina Tolstova (EM) def. Helena Lynn, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(5)
#4: Pehal Kharadkar (EM) def. Sophia Cunningham, 6-1, 6-2
#5: Regina Mendez Carreño (EM) led Gretta Rhodes, 6-3, 5-0 abandoned
#6: Matilde Parreira (EM) def. Julia Ritchey, 6-0, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1,2,4,3,6
Doubles
#1: Lara Diaz Zayas/Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya (EM) def. Dasha Chichkina/Helena Lynn, 6-1
#2: Matilde Parreira/Sabrina Tolstova (EM) def. Gaby Almanza/Sophia Cunningham, 6-2
#3: Iva Daneva/Regina Mendez Carreño (EM) led Gretta Rhodes/Julia Ritchey (SF), 5-2 abandoned
Order of Finish: 1, 2
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2
#1 Singles Match
12
10
Almanza, Gaby / 0 [SFU]
66
#2 Singles Match
123
654
Chichkina, Dasha / 0 [SFU]
376
#3 Singles Match
123
647
Lynn, Helena / 0 [SFU]
266
#4 Singles Match
12
66
Cunningham, Sophia / 0 [SFU]
12
#5 Singles Match
123
650
Rhodes, Gretta / 0 [SFU]
30UF
#6 Singles Match
12
66
Ritchey, Julia / 0 [SFU]
02
Order of Finish:
1,2,4,3,6
Players Mentioned
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