Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, January 31
Ypsilanti, Mich.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Oakland
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Tennis Hosts Oakland, Visits MSU this Weekend
1/29/2026 11:45:00 AM | Tennis
Eagles looking to remain undefeated following best start (5-0) in 23 years
| Spring Dual #6 | vs. OAKLAND | |
| Date | Saturday, Jan. 31 | 1 p.m. |
| Venue | Chippewa Club | Ypsilanti, Mich. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes | Media Guide |
| Live | Live Results |
| @EMUEaglesTennis | @EMUAthletics | |
| Spring Dual #7 | at MICHIGAN STATE | |
| Date | Sunday, Feb. 1 | 2 p.m. |
| Venue | MSU Indoor Tennis Center | East Lansing, Mich. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes | Media Guide |
| Live | Live Results | Watch |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University tennis team will look to extend its best start in 23 years this weekend as the Eagles, who are off to a 5-0 start, will face a pair of fellow Michigan schools when they play host to Oakland University Saturday, Jan. 31, before venturing north to take on Michigan State University Sunday, Feb. 1. The Eagles (5-0) and Golden Grizzlies (0-1) will meet inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti Saturday at 1 p.m. with the matchup between EMU and the Spartans (0-0) set for 2 p.m. inside the MSU Tennis Center in East Lansing, Mich.
FIRST SERVES
» The Eagles went 2-0 on the road last week, scoring a 4-3 win at Youngstown State (Jan. 23) before taking a 4-2 decision at St. Francis (Pa.)(Jan. 24).
» Eastern is in its 49th varsity season in 2026 and, following its weekend road sweep, is now 550-467 all-time. The 4-2 win at St. Francis (Pa.) stands as the 550th victory in program history.
» Eastern is 5-0 to open a season for just the third time in program history and the first time since the 2002-03 squad opened its campaign with sixth consecutive wins.
» EMU has won eight consecutive matches after winning the final three in 2025 before winning the first five of 2026. The streak is the longest since EMU won nine in a row during the 2017-18 season.
» After winning just three road matches in the past two years combined, Eastern is 4-0 after posting wins at Youngstown State and St. Francis (Pa.). The start marks just the fifth time EMU has opened at 4-0 or better on the road with the last time coming in 2002-03 (6-0).
» The two wins at Ferris State were the first two of six matches slated against fellow Michigan schools in 2026 as Eastern also will face Oakland and Michigan State this week before hosting Wayne State and Western Michigan later this year. All time, the Eagles are now 105-114 against Michigan teams with a 39-23 record in matches ending in a sweep.
» Under Ryan Kucera, the Eagles have posted a 22-2 record at home, including an 11-0 mark in his debut season (2024), a 10-2 mark last year, and a 1-0 start in 2026. In the six seasons played ahead of Kucera's arrival, the Eagles were 21-30 at home.
» Eastern has been strong in doubles play under Ryan Kucera as they have won 62.7 percent (32-of-51) of the doubles points since the start of the 2024 season. The Eagles were 13-of-23 in 2024 before improving to 14-of-22 last year and have won 5-of-5 this year.
» The 2025-26 Eastern Michigan roster features eight players from eight countries and four continents. Included on the roster are four returning Eagles in Iva Daneva, Lara Diaz Zayas, Regina Mendez Carreño, and Kseniia Saenko, and four newcomers in Pehal Kharadkar, Matilde Parreira, Sabrina Tolstova, and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya.
» With the four freshmen included, the EMU roster boasts players from eight countries, including Argentina, India, Indonesia, Mexico, North Macedonia, Portugal, Russia, and Ukraine. All told, the Eagles are represented on four continents, including North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
» Ryan Kucera returns for his third season as the head coach and will look to guide the team to the MAC Tournament for the second time. He has guided the team to back-to-back 12-win seasons for the first time since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons when Tim Gray led the team to consecutive 16-win campaigns.
LAST TIME OUT: ROAD SWEEP
Eastern swept both of its matches on the road over the weekend as the Eagles collected a 4-3 win at Youngstown State before taking a 4-2 victory at St. Francis (Pa.). Pehal Kharadkar (No. 4) and Matilde Parreira (No. 6) both posted 2-0 records in singles play as the Eagles captured the doubles point in both matches as well. Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya was victorious at No. 2 in the YSU match while Sabrina Tolstova and Regina Mendez Carreño added singles win in the victory over the Red Flashes.
MILESTONE VICTORY
With their 4-2 win at St. Francis (Pa.) Jan. 24, the Eagles secured their 550th victory in program history. Eastern, who is in its 49th season, stands 550-467 all-time. The last time the Eagles secured a milestone win came April 16, 2021, in a 6-1 win at Grace (Ind.) to record the 500th program win.
FRESHMEN LEADING THE WAY
The Eagles are off to a fast start because of the play of their four freshmen. Through the first five duals of the season, the quartet of Pehal Kharadkar, Matilde Parreira, Sabrina Tolstova, and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya have combined to post a record 16-2 in singles action with Kharadkar holding a 5-0 record and Parreira standing 4-0 this spring. Additionally, Tolstova is 4-1 following a tough three-set setback while Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya is 3-1. Additionally, the group has helped secure an 8-1 record in doubles play this spring as Parreira and Tolstova are 4-0 together while Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya has joined with sophomore Lara Diaz Zayas to go 4-1.
TURNING A CORNER
Pehal Kharadkar added two more victories to her total over the weekend, including a 6-0, 6-1 win at St. Francis (Pa.), to move her current win streak to nine consecutive matches. Kharadkar, who won her collegiate debut before dropping five in a row, found her footing at the Drake Invitational (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) as she rolled through four matches, dropping a total of 14 games in those matches. Following the winter break, she continued to win as she has captured all five singles matches played this spring and now stands 10-5 on the year, a mark that ties for the team lead in singles wins with fellow freshman Matilde Parreira.
NEARLY DOUBLED THE DOUBLES
The Eagles have fared well in doubles play this fall as four pairs have combined to start 15 matches with an 11-1 record and three abandoned. The team of freshmen Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova are 4-0 this spring with the duo of Lara Diaz Zayas and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya sitting at 4-1. Iva Daneva and Regina Mendez Carreño are 3-0 as well.
STRAIGHT TO THE (DOUBLES) POINT
Eastern has captured the doubles point in 5-of-5 matches (100.0 percent) played this season and have secured the point in 62.7 percent of matches played under Ryan Kucera (32-of-51) since the start of the 2024 season. Ahead of his arrival, the Eagles captured the point just four times (26.7 percent) in the 2022-23 season before winning the point 56.5 percent in 2024 (13-of-23) and 60.9 percent last year (14-of-23).
STRONG START
Eastern is off to a 5-0 start to the season for just the third time in its 49-year history and its first since the 2002-03 squad started the year at 6-0. The Eagles, who also were 6-0 to open the 1983-84 campaign, would tie the program record with a win over Oakland (Jan. 31) and, should they defeat the Golden Grizzlies, would look to defeat Michigan State for the team's record seventh consecutive win to open a season.
GOING STREAKING
In early April 2025, the Eagles were coming off a three-match losing streak with three matches to play. They made the most of it by winning all three, including home wins over both Northern Illinois (5-2) and Bowling Green (5-2) before capping the season with a 4-3 win at Ball State. Combined with the 5-0 start to the 2026 season, Eastern has now won eight consecutive matches for the first time since the 2017-18 team captured nine in a row after starting with a 2-3 mark.
ROAD WINS
Eastern is off to a 4-0 start in road matches in 2026, its best start since the 2002-03 team also opened with a 6-0 mark. This year's Eagles, who have doubled their road win total from one year ago, are the fifth in program history to open a campaign at 4-0 on the road, joining the teams from 2002-03 (6-0), 1983-84 (6-0), 1981-82 (4-0), and 1976-77 (4-0) on the list.
KNOW THE FOE: OAKLAND
The Golden Grizzlies stand 0-1 on the year after dropping a 5-2 decision at Toledo, Jan. 23, in their opener. OU, who will play at Northwood one day before facing the Eagles, is set to open its season with seven consecutive matches away from home.
IN THE SERIES: OAKLAND
Eastern and Oakland are meeting for the 21st time in the local rivalry with the Eagles looking to bounce back from a 5-2 loss at home last year, a loss that snapped a two-match winning streak overall in the series. Eastern holds a 12-2 record against OU when the match is played in Ypsilanti with the team trading wins in each of the last four meetings inside the Chippewa Club.
THE LAST TIME VS. THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Eastern and Oakland last met Feb. 1, 2025, with the Golden Grizzlies taking a 5-2 win in Ypsilanti, a loss that snapped the Eagles' 13-match home winning streak. OU opened with a 1-0 lead by taking the doubles point and made it 3-0 with two singles wins. Kseniia Saenko halted the run with her win at No. 5, but the visitors clinched the match with a win at No. 2 and another win at No. 3. Regina Mendez Carreño added a win at No. 6 to bring about the final score.
KNOW THE FOE: MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans are 0-0 on the year after seeing their first two matches cancelled because of inclement weather in College Station, Texas, where they were to face No. 2 Texas A&M and either Arizona State or TCU in the ITA Kickoff Weekend. Michigan State will have one match under its belt before facing the Eagles as the Spartans will host Western Michigan at 10 a.m. before taking on EMU later that afternoon (2 p.m.).
IN THE SERIES: MICHIGAN STATE
Eastern and Michigan State have met 48 times in a series that dates to 1976 -- EMU's inaugural season -- with the Spartans holding a 42-6 advantage. MSU has won the last 17 meetings, including a 4-0 sweep, Feb. 2, 2025, in East Lansing, with the last EMU win coming in a 4-3 decision on the road, Feb. 6, 2004.
PLAYED MANY TIMES
The series with Michigan State is the sixth most-played in program history and the most against a non-conference opponent with the Eagles and Spartans set to meet for the 49th time this weekend. The only series EMU has played more comes against Western Michigan (72 times), Bowling Green (55), Miami (51), and both Ball State and Toledo at 50.
THE LAST TIME VS. THE SPARTANS
The Eagles and Spartans met on the courts Feb. 2, 2025, with host MSU taking a 4-0 victory. The Spartans won the doubles point before capturing straight-set wins at No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 singles.
TAKING A POINT
When the Eagles travel to East Lansing, they will look to snap not only a 17-match slide against the Spartans but will also look to take a point off the hosts for the first time since the 2022 meeting, a 6-1 loss. That year, Luisa Pelayo won, 7-5, 6-4, over Mary Lewis at No. 1 singles before the Spartans won by 4-0 scores in both 2024 and 2025.
SAME SETUP
For the third consecutive season, the Eagles will play host to Oakland one day before traveling north to face Michigan State. The similar scheduling started in 2024 with EMU taking a 6-1 home win from Oakland, Feb. 10, before falling at MSU, 4-0, Feb. 11. Last year, the Golden Grizzlies took a 5-2 win at EMU, Feb. 1, before the Eagles fell to the Spartans, 4-0, Feb. 2.
MITTEN MATCHES
Eastern's 2026 schedule features six matches against fellow Michigan schools with the Eagles standing 2-0 on the year after sweeping a road doubleheader at Ferris State (Jan. 19) with scores of 6-1 and 4-1. With those wins, Eastern improved to 105-114 all-time against intrastate schools and holds records of 39-23 in matches ending in a sweep and 18-22 in matches decided by one point. The remainder of the schedule will see the Eagles play host to Oakland (Jan. 31), play at Michigan State (Feb. 1), and play host to both Wayne State (Feb. 22) and Western Michigan (April 19) on Senior Day.
ON THE HORIZON
Two more matches away from home await Eastern Michigan next week as the Eagles will venture to Richmond, Ky., to play a same-day doubleheader hosted by Eastern Kentucky University, Saturday, Feb. 6, inside the Greg Adams Tennis Center. The day will start with the Eagles and host Colonials squaring off at 11 a.m. before Eastern plays a neutral site match with the Mocs of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at 4 p.m.
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 went 2-0 on the road last week, scoring a 4-3 win at Youngstown State (Jan. 23) before taking a 4-2 decision at St. Francis (Pa.)(Jan. 24).
» Eastern is in its 49th varsity season in 2026 and, following its weekend road sweep, is now 550-467 all-time. The 4-2 win at St. Francis (Pa.) stands as the 550th victory in program history.
» Eastern is 5-0 to open a season for just the third time in program history and the first time since the 2002-03 squad opened its campaign with sixth consecutive wins.
» EMU has won eight consecutive matches after winning the final three in 2025 before winning the first five of 2026. The streak is the longest since EMU won nine in a row during the 2017-18 season.
» After winning just three road matches in the past two years combined, Eastern is 4-0 after posting wins at Youngstown State and St. Francis (Pa.). The start marks just the fifth time EMU has opened at 4-0 or better on the road with the last time coming in 2002-03 (6-0).
» The two wins at Ferris State were the first two of six matches slated against fellow Michigan schools in 2026 as Eastern also will face Oakland and Michigan State this week before hosting Wayne State and Western Michigan later this year. All time, the Eagles are now 105-114 against Michigan teams with a 39-23 record in matches ending in a sweep.
» Under Ryan Kucera, the Eagles have posted a 22-2 record at home, including an 11-0 mark in his debut season (2024), a 10-2 mark last year, and a 1-0 start in 2026. In the six seasons played ahead of Kucera's arrival, the Eagles were 21-30 at home.
» Eastern has been strong in doubles play under Ryan Kucera as they have won 62.7 percent (32-of-51) of the doubles points since the start of the 2024 season. The Eagles were 13-of-23 in 2024 before improving to 14-of-22 last year and have won 5-of-5 this year.
» The 2025-26 Eastern Michigan roster features eight players from eight countries and four continents. Included on the roster are four returning Eagles in Iva Daneva, Lara Diaz Zayas, Regina Mendez Carreño, and Kseniia Saenko, and four newcomers in Pehal Kharadkar, Matilde Parreira, Sabrina Tolstova, and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya.
» With the four freshmen included, the EMU roster boasts players from eight countries, including Argentina, India, Indonesia, Mexico, North Macedonia, Portugal, Russia, and Ukraine. All told, the Eagles are represented on four continents, including North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
» Ryan Kucera returns for his third season as the head coach and will look to guide the team to the MAC Tournament for the second time. He has guided the team to back-to-back 12-win seasons for the first time since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons when Tim Gray led the team to consecutive 16-win campaigns.
LAST TIME OUT: ROAD SWEEP
Eastern swept both of its matches on the road over the weekend as the Eagles collected a 4-3 win at Youngstown State before taking a 4-2 victory at St. Francis (Pa.). Pehal Kharadkar (No. 4) and Matilde Parreira (No. 6) both posted 2-0 records in singles play as the Eagles captured the doubles point in both matches as well. Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya was victorious at No. 2 in the YSU match while Sabrina Tolstova and Regina Mendez Carreño added singles win in the victory over the Red Flashes.
MILESTONE VICTORY
With their 4-2 win at St. Francis (Pa.) Jan. 24, the Eagles secured their 550th victory in program history. Eastern, who is in its 49th season, stands 550-467 all-time. The last time the Eagles secured a milestone win came April 16, 2021, in a 6-1 win at Grace (Ind.) to record the 500th program win.
FRESHMEN LEADING THE WAY
The Eagles are off to a fast start because of the play of their four freshmen. Through the first five duals of the season, the quartet of Pehal Kharadkar, Matilde Parreira, Sabrina Tolstova, and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya have combined to post a record 16-2 in singles action with Kharadkar holding a 5-0 record and Parreira standing 4-0 this spring. Additionally, Tolstova is 4-1 following a tough three-set setback while Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya is 3-1. Additionally, the group has helped secure an 8-1 record in doubles play this spring as Parreira and Tolstova are 4-0 together while Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya has joined with sophomore Lara Diaz Zayas to go 4-1.
TURNING A CORNER
Pehal Kharadkar added two more victories to her total over the weekend, including a 6-0, 6-1 win at St. Francis (Pa.), to move her current win streak to nine consecutive matches. Kharadkar, who won her collegiate debut before dropping five in a row, found her footing at the Drake Invitational (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) as she rolled through four matches, dropping a total of 14 games in those matches. Following the winter break, she continued to win as she has captured all five singles matches played this spring and now stands 10-5 on the year, a mark that ties for the team lead in singles wins with fellow freshman Matilde Parreira.
NEARLY DOUBLED THE DOUBLES
The Eagles have fared well in doubles play this fall as four pairs have combined to start 15 matches with an 11-1 record and three abandoned. The team of freshmen Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova are 4-0 this spring with the duo of Lara Diaz Zayas and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya sitting at 4-1. Iva Daneva and Regina Mendez Carreño are 3-0 as well.
STRAIGHT TO THE (DOUBLES) POINT
Eastern has captured the doubles point in 5-of-5 matches (100.0 percent) played this season and have secured the point in 62.7 percent of matches played under Ryan Kucera (32-of-51) since the start of the 2024 season. Ahead of his arrival, the Eagles captured the point just four times (26.7 percent) in the 2022-23 season before winning the point 56.5 percent in 2024 (13-of-23) and 60.9 percent last year (14-of-23).
STRONG START
Eastern is off to a 5-0 start to the season for just the third time in its 49-year history and its first since the 2002-03 squad started the year at 6-0. The Eagles, who also were 6-0 to open the 1983-84 campaign, would tie the program record with a win over Oakland (Jan. 31) and, should they defeat the Golden Grizzlies, would look to defeat Michigan State for the team's record seventh consecutive win to open a season.
GOING STREAKING
In early April 2025, the Eagles were coming off a three-match losing streak with three matches to play. They made the most of it by winning all three, including home wins over both Northern Illinois (5-2) and Bowling Green (5-2) before capping the season with a 4-3 win at Ball State. Combined with the 5-0 start to the 2026 season, Eastern has now won eight consecutive matches for the first time since the 2017-18 team captured nine in a row after starting with a 2-3 mark.
ROAD WINS
Eastern is off to a 4-0 start in road matches in 2026, its best start since the 2002-03 team also opened with a 6-0 mark. This year's Eagles, who have doubled their road win total from one year ago, are the fifth in program history to open a campaign at 4-0 on the road, joining the teams from 2002-03 (6-0), 1983-84 (6-0), 1981-82 (4-0), and 1976-77 (4-0) on the list.
KNOW THE FOE: OAKLAND
The Golden Grizzlies stand 0-1 on the year after dropping a 5-2 decision at Toledo, Jan. 23, in their opener. OU, who will play at Northwood one day before facing the Eagles, is set to open its season with seven consecutive matches away from home.
IN THE SERIES: OAKLAND
Eastern and Oakland are meeting for the 21st time in the local rivalry with the Eagles looking to bounce back from a 5-2 loss at home last year, a loss that snapped a two-match winning streak overall in the series. Eastern holds a 12-2 record against OU when the match is played in Ypsilanti with the team trading wins in each of the last four meetings inside the Chippewa Club.
THE LAST TIME VS. THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Eastern and Oakland last met Feb. 1, 2025, with the Golden Grizzlies taking a 5-2 win in Ypsilanti, a loss that snapped the Eagles' 13-match home winning streak. OU opened with a 1-0 lead by taking the doubles point and made it 3-0 with two singles wins. Kseniia Saenko halted the run with her win at No. 5, but the visitors clinched the match with a win at No. 2 and another win at No. 3. Regina Mendez Carreño added a win at No. 6 to bring about the final score.
KNOW THE FOE: MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans are 0-0 on the year after seeing their first two matches cancelled because of inclement weather in College Station, Texas, where they were to face No. 2 Texas A&M and either Arizona State or TCU in the ITA Kickoff Weekend. Michigan State will have one match under its belt before facing the Eagles as the Spartans will host Western Michigan at 10 a.m. before taking on EMU later that afternoon (2 p.m.).
IN THE SERIES: MICHIGAN STATE
Eastern and Michigan State have met 48 times in a series that dates to 1976 -- EMU's inaugural season -- with the Spartans holding a 42-6 advantage. MSU has won the last 17 meetings, including a 4-0 sweep, Feb. 2, 2025, in East Lansing, with the last EMU win coming in a 4-3 decision on the road, Feb. 6, 2004.
PLAYED MANY TIMES
The series with Michigan State is the sixth most-played in program history and the most against a non-conference opponent with the Eagles and Spartans set to meet for the 49th time this weekend. The only series EMU has played more comes against Western Michigan (72 times), Bowling Green (55), Miami (51), and both Ball State and Toledo at 50.
THE LAST TIME VS. THE SPARTANS
The Eagles and Spartans met on the courts Feb. 2, 2025, with host MSU taking a 4-0 victory. The Spartans won the doubles point before capturing straight-set wins at No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 singles.
TAKING A POINT
When the Eagles travel to East Lansing, they will look to snap not only a 17-match slide against the Spartans but will also look to take a point off the hosts for the first time since the 2022 meeting, a 6-1 loss. That year, Luisa Pelayo won, 7-5, 6-4, over Mary Lewis at No. 1 singles before the Spartans won by 4-0 scores in both 2024 and 2025.
SAME SETUP
For the third consecutive season, the Eagles will play host to Oakland one day before traveling north to face Michigan State. The similar scheduling started in 2024 with EMU taking a 6-1 home win from Oakland, Feb. 10, before falling at MSU, 4-0, Feb. 11. Last year, the Golden Grizzlies took a 5-2 win at EMU, Feb. 1, before the Eagles fell to the Spartans, 4-0, Feb. 2.
MITTEN MATCHES
Eastern's 2026 schedule features six matches against fellow Michigan schools with the Eagles standing 2-0 on the year after sweeping a road doubleheader at Ferris State (Jan. 19) with scores of 6-1 and 4-1. With those wins, Eastern improved to 105-114 all-time against intrastate schools and holds records of 39-23 in matches ending in a sweep and 18-22 in matches decided by one point. The remainder of the schedule will see the Eagles play host to Oakland (Jan. 31), play at Michigan State (Feb. 1), and play host to both Wayne State (Feb. 22) and Western Michigan (April 19) on Senior Day.
ON THE HORIZON
Two more matches away from home await Eastern Michigan next week as the Eagles will venture to Richmond, Ky., to play a same-day doubleheader hosted by Eastern Kentucky University, Saturday, Feb. 6, inside the Greg Adams Tennis Center. The day will start with the Eagles and host Colonials squaring off at 11 a.m. before Eastern plays a neutral site match with the Mocs of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at 4 p.m.
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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