Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 20
Bowling Green, Ohio
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Bowling Green
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Tennis Faces Bowling Green & Toledo this Weekend
3/18/2026 2:15:00 PM | Tennis
Eastern plays at BGSU Friday before hosting Toledo in Ypsilanti Sunday afternoon
| Spring Dual #17 | at BOWLING GREEN | |
| Date | Friday, March 20 | 1 p.m. |
| Venue | Perrysburg Tennis Center | Perrysburg, Ohio |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes | Media Guide |
| Live | Live Results (iOnCourt) |
| @EMUEaglesTennis | @EMUAthletics | |
| Spring Dual #18 | vs. TOLEDO | |
| Date | Sunday, March 15 | 1 p.m. |
| Venue | Chippewa Club | Ypsilanti |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes | Media Guide |
| Live | Live Results |
| EMU_Tennis | EMUAthletics | |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University tennis team is set for two Mid-American Conference matches this week as the Eagles will travel to face Bowling Green State University before hosting the University of Toledo. Eastern (9-7, 0-2 MAC) opens the weekend with a 1 p.m. contest inside the Perrysburg Tennis Center in Perrysburg, Ohio, March 20, against the host Falcons (6-8, 0-1 MAC) before capping the weekend by hosting the Rockets (7-6, 2-0 MAC) inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti at 1 p.m., March 22.
FIRST SERVES
» The Eagles are 9-7 overall and 0-2 in MAC play after dropping a 4-3 home decision to Northern Illinois (March 13) and a 6-1 road setback at UMass (March 15).
» Freshman Sabrina Tolstova got off to a hot start in MAC play as she captured both of her singles matches at No. 3. She won in three sets over Lucia Yecora of NIU (6-3, 2-6, 6-3) before claiming a 7-6(2), 6-1 win at UMass over Martina Pavissich.
» Regina Mendez Carreño secured wins at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles against NIU (March 13) to mark her first career MAC victories in both. She entered the dual 0-6 all-time in MAC singles matches and had not played doubles in a MAC contest before taking on the Huskies.
» Eastern is in its 49th varsity season in 2026 and, following its weekend split, is now 554-474 all-time. The 4-2 win at St. Francis (Pa.), Jan. 24, stands as the 550th victory in program history.
» Under Ryan Kucera, the Eagles have posted a 24-3 record at home, including an 11-0 mark in his debut season (2024), a 10-2 mark last year, and a 3-1 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 56.5 percent (35-of-62) 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 8-of-16 this year.
» In the three seasons Ryan Kucera has led the program, Eastern holds a record of 28-7 when it wins the doubles point and has won 10 consecutive matches when securing the point. Conversely, EMU is 5-22 when it does not win the point, including its 4-3 win at home over Bradley, Feb. 20.
» 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.
» Ryan Kucera ranks sixth all-time in wins by a head coach in program history with 33. The wins at DePaul (No. 31) and Butler (No. 32) pushed him ahead of Allison Tookes, who had 31 from 1991-95.
LAST TIME OUT: OPENING WEEKEND
Eastern opened its 2026 MAC schedule last week and suffered a pair of defeats, including a 4-3 home loss to Northern Illinois (March 13) and a 6-1 road setback at UMass (March 15). In the opener, the Eagles tried to bounce back from dropping the doubles point, but wins by Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya at No. 1, Sabrina Tolstova at No. 3, and Regina Mendez Carreño at No. 6 were not enough against the Huskies. On the road, Tolstova was the lone victor for the Eagles as she won in straight sets at No. 3 singles to open start MAC play 2-0.
TOLSTOVA TAKES TWO
Freshman Sabrina Tolstova is off to a 2-0 start in singles play as she captured a pair of matches at No. 3 last week. Tolstova opened the weekend with a three-set victory over Northern Illinois's Lucia Yecora, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, before she went on the road and downed UMass' Martina Pavissich, 7-6(2), 6-1. Tolstova has captured 11 wins in singles play this year, which is fourth on the team and just two off the overall lead while her 23 combined wins is two off the pace of doubles partner Matilde Parreira, who has 25.
A FIRST FOR EVERYTHING
Ahead of the match with Northern Illinois (March 13), Regina Mendez Carreño had not won a MAC match in her career as she stood 0-6 in singles and had not competed in doubles. The senior played both singles and doubles against the Huskies where she secured her first wins in both. In doubles, she paired with Iva Daneva to grab a 6-2 victory at No. 3 before she secured a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles. Mendez Carreño has secured 46 combined wins in her career, leaving her four away from reaching 50.
KNOW THE FOE: BOWLING GREEN
The Falcons are 6-8 overall and 0-1 in the MAC after dropping a 6-1 decision at UMass to open league play before falling at Boston College, 6-1, two days later. Bowling Green is 4-0 in home matches this season and won, 7-0, over Northern Kentucky, Feb. 27, in its most recent home contest.
IN THE SERIES: BOWLING GREEN
Eastern holds a 38-17 record against Bowling Green and has won the last four meetings, including a 5-2 decision at home last year (April 13). The Eagles are 13-11 when playing at BGSU and have won the last two contests, including a 6-1 decision, April 21, 2024. Since 2013, the series has been a string of streaks as the Eagles won six consecutive duals before the Falcons took four in a row with Eastern answering with its current four-match winning streak. The series has also featured 16 matches decided by one point with Eagles holding an 11-5 record in those matches.
THE LAST TIME VS. FALCONS
The Eagles secured a 5-2 home win on Senior Day (April 13, 2025) in their most recent meeting with the Falcons as Eastern jumped out to a 5-0 lead before dropping the final two matches in third-set tiebreakers. The Eagles claimed the doubles point before securing wins at No. 2, No. 5, No. 6, and No. 3 for the 5-0 lead. The final two matches came down to a 10-point tiebreaker with EMU falling at No. 4, 11-9, and No. 1, 12-10.
KNOW THE FOE: TOLEDO
The Rockets are 7-6 overall and 2-0 in the MAC after sweeping their first two league matches last weekend that included home wins over Miami (5-2) and Northern Illinois (4-3). Toledo is 1-4 away from home and 0-2 on neutral courts with a perfect 6-0 home record.
IN THE SERIES: TOLEDO
Eastern leads, 33-17, in its series with Toledo, but has lost the last two meetings, including a 4-3 setback in Toledo last season. The Eagles are 13-8 when hosting the Rockets in Ypsilanti and won the last meeting, 4-3, April 14, 2024, to secure berth in the MAC Tournament. The teams are accustomed to close contests as 14 of the 50 matches have been decided by one point and only nine sweeps have been posted.
THE LAST TIME VS. ROCKETS
Eastern dropped a tightly contested match at Toledo, 4-3, the last time the two teams met (April 4, 2025). The Eagles captured the doubles point for a 1-0 lead before the Rockets tied the match with a win at No. 2 singles. The two teams traded wins in the next four matches with EMU taking victories at No. 6 and No. 1 after UT won at No. 4 and No. 3. The match came down to the No. 5 bout where Kseniia Saenko battled back from one set down to force a third set where she fell in a tiebreaker, 2-6, 6-3, 6-7(3).
NEW STREAK?
The Eagles won their last home match against the visiting Rockets, 4-3, April 14, 2024. If Eastern defeats Toledo this weekend, it will mark the first back-to-back home wins against the Rockets since Eastern won 11 consecutive home meetings, a streak that started April 6, 1982, and ran through a 7-0 win, April 2, 2004.
HOME PROTECTION
Since taking over the program ahead of the 2023-24 season, the Eagles hold a 24-3 record at home under Ryan Kucera, a mark that included the Eagles going a perfect 11-0 at home in 2024, 10-2 last year, and 3-1 in 2026 following their 4-3 loss to Northern Illinois (March 13). In the previous six seasons played ahead of Kucera's arrival, the Eagles were 21-30, including a 3-4 mark in the 2022-23 season. The win totals also rank as the highest (11) and second-highest (10) in single-season history for the program.
STRAIGHT TO THE (DOUBLES) POINT
Eastern has captured the doubles point in 8-of-16 matches (50 percent) played this season and has secured the point in 56.5 percent of matches played under Ryan Kucera (35-of-62) 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).
DOUBLES TALES
Since Ryan Kucera took over ahead of the 2023-24 season, doubles have been a key component to the team's success. In the 62 matches played, the Eagles have won the doubles point 35 times (56.5 percent) which has translated into a 28-7 record in the team match and wins in 10 consecutive team matches when winning the doubles point. Conversely, the Eagles are 5-22 when they don't win the doubles point, including the 4-3 win over Bradley at home, Feb. 20.
WHEN TWO IS ONE
Through the match at UMass (March 15), the Eagles have captured the doubles point 8-of-16 times this year with the team of Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova adding the point-clinching win five times. The freshmen duo has clinched the point four times from the No. 2 position while adding one at the No. 1 spot.
BRINGING IN THE CLOSER?
Following her clinching point at No. 5 singles against Bradley (Feb. 20), Matilde Parreira has been a closer of late for the Eagles as she clinched the deciding point in back-to-back matches, including the 5-2 victory at Butler (Feb. 14). Parreira and Pehal Kharadkar are tied for the team lead with three match-clinching points this year, but Parreira has a big lead when including doubles clinches as she holds eight combined wins in 2026 with doubles partner Sabrina Tolstova next in line with six.
ROOKIES ROCKING
The four freshmen added to the roster this year have made immediate impacts for the Eagles as they lead the team in singles wins and combined wins through the match played at No. 55 North Florida (March 4). Matilde Parreira leads the team in singles wins (13) and combined wins (25) while sitting tied for the lead in doubles victories with playing partner Sabrina Tolstova (12). Tolstova has also reached 21 combined wins in her rookie season as she has added nine singles wins. Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya and Pehel Kharadkar each have secured 11 singles wins as well with Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya closing in on 20 combined wins as she has tallied 19 total this year following her win at No. 1 doubles against the Braves. All told, the freshmen have tallied 44-of-59 wins in singles play this year.
ROAD WINS
The loss at Michigan State (Feb. 1) also was the first of the year on the road for EMU, which halted their four-match winning streak away from home. The 4-0 start tied for the third-best road showing in program history with only the 2002-03 and 1983-84 teams starting better as both opened at 6-0. Eastern has rebounded since then with two wins for a 6-2 road record in 2025-26.
ON THE HORIZON
Eastern is slated for one match next week as the Eagles will play host to the Bulls of the University at Buffalo, March 27, at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. The Mid-American Conference contest is slated to start at 1 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 are 9-7 overall and 0-2 in MAC play after dropping a 4-3 home decision to Northern Illinois (March 13) and a 6-1 road setback at UMass (March 15).
» Freshman Sabrina Tolstova got off to a hot start in MAC play as she captured both of her singles matches at No. 3. She won in three sets over Lucia Yecora of NIU (6-3, 2-6, 6-3) before claiming a 7-6(2), 6-1 win at UMass over Martina Pavissich.
» Regina Mendez Carreño secured wins at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles against NIU (March 13) to mark her first career MAC victories in both. She entered the dual 0-6 all-time in MAC singles matches and had not played doubles in a MAC contest before taking on the Huskies.
» Eastern is in its 49th varsity season in 2026 and, following its weekend split, is now 554-474 all-time. The 4-2 win at St. Francis (Pa.), Jan. 24, stands as the 550th victory in program history.
» Under Ryan Kucera, the Eagles have posted a 24-3 record at home, including an 11-0 mark in his debut season (2024), a 10-2 mark last year, and a 3-1 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 56.5 percent (35-of-62) 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 8-of-16 this year.
» In the three seasons Ryan Kucera has led the program, Eastern holds a record of 28-7 when it wins the doubles point and has won 10 consecutive matches when securing the point. Conversely, EMU is 5-22 when it does not win the point, including its 4-3 win at home over Bradley, Feb. 20.
» 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.
» Ryan Kucera ranks sixth all-time in wins by a head coach in program history with 33. The wins at DePaul (No. 31) and Butler (No. 32) pushed him ahead of Allison Tookes, who had 31 from 1991-95.
LAST TIME OUT: OPENING WEEKEND
Eastern opened its 2026 MAC schedule last week and suffered a pair of defeats, including a 4-3 home loss to Northern Illinois (March 13) and a 6-1 road setback at UMass (March 15). In the opener, the Eagles tried to bounce back from dropping the doubles point, but wins by Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya at No. 1, Sabrina Tolstova at No. 3, and Regina Mendez Carreño at No. 6 were not enough against the Huskies. On the road, Tolstova was the lone victor for the Eagles as she won in straight sets at No. 3 singles to open start MAC play 2-0.
TOLSTOVA TAKES TWO
Freshman Sabrina Tolstova is off to a 2-0 start in singles play as she captured a pair of matches at No. 3 last week. Tolstova opened the weekend with a three-set victory over Northern Illinois's Lucia Yecora, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, before she went on the road and downed UMass' Martina Pavissich, 7-6(2), 6-1. Tolstova has captured 11 wins in singles play this year, which is fourth on the team and just two off the overall lead while her 23 combined wins is two off the pace of doubles partner Matilde Parreira, who has 25.
A FIRST FOR EVERYTHING
Ahead of the match with Northern Illinois (March 13), Regina Mendez Carreño had not won a MAC match in her career as she stood 0-6 in singles and had not competed in doubles. The senior played both singles and doubles against the Huskies where she secured her first wins in both. In doubles, she paired with Iva Daneva to grab a 6-2 victory at No. 3 before she secured a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles. Mendez Carreño has secured 46 combined wins in her career, leaving her four away from reaching 50.
KNOW THE FOE: BOWLING GREEN
The Falcons are 6-8 overall and 0-1 in the MAC after dropping a 6-1 decision at UMass to open league play before falling at Boston College, 6-1, two days later. Bowling Green is 4-0 in home matches this season and won, 7-0, over Northern Kentucky, Feb. 27, in its most recent home contest.
IN THE SERIES: BOWLING GREEN
Eastern holds a 38-17 record against Bowling Green and has won the last four meetings, including a 5-2 decision at home last year (April 13). The Eagles are 13-11 when playing at BGSU and have won the last two contests, including a 6-1 decision, April 21, 2024. Since 2013, the series has been a string of streaks as the Eagles won six consecutive duals before the Falcons took four in a row with Eastern answering with its current four-match winning streak. The series has also featured 16 matches decided by one point with Eagles holding an 11-5 record in those matches.
THE LAST TIME VS. FALCONS
The Eagles secured a 5-2 home win on Senior Day (April 13, 2025) in their most recent meeting with the Falcons as Eastern jumped out to a 5-0 lead before dropping the final two matches in third-set tiebreakers. The Eagles claimed the doubles point before securing wins at No. 2, No. 5, No. 6, and No. 3 for the 5-0 lead. The final two matches came down to a 10-point tiebreaker with EMU falling at No. 4, 11-9, and No. 1, 12-10.
KNOW THE FOE: TOLEDO
The Rockets are 7-6 overall and 2-0 in the MAC after sweeping their first two league matches last weekend that included home wins over Miami (5-2) and Northern Illinois (4-3). Toledo is 1-4 away from home and 0-2 on neutral courts with a perfect 6-0 home record.
IN THE SERIES: TOLEDO
Eastern leads, 33-17, in its series with Toledo, but has lost the last two meetings, including a 4-3 setback in Toledo last season. The Eagles are 13-8 when hosting the Rockets in Ypsilanti and won the last meeting, 4-3, April 14, 2024, to secure berth in the MAC Tournament. The teams are accustomed to close contests as 14 of the 50 matches have been decided by one point and only nine sweeps have been posted.
THE LAST TIME VS. ROCKETS
Eastern dropped a tightly contested match at Toledo, 4-3, the last time the two teams met (April 4, 2025). The Eagles captured the doubles point for a 1-0 lead before the Rockets tied the match with a win at No. 2 singles. The two teams traded wins in the next four matches with EMU taking victories at No. 6 and No. 1 after UT won at No. 4 and No. 3. The match came down to the No. 5 bout where Kseniia Saenko battled back from one set down to force a third set where she fell in a tiebreaker, 2-6, 6-3, 6-7(3).
NEW STREAK?
The Eagles won their last home match against the visiting Rockets, 4-3, April 14, 2024. If Eastern defeats Toledo this weekend, it will mark the first back-to-back home wins against the Rockets since Eastern won 11 consecutive home meetings, a streak that started April 6, 1982, and ran through a 7-0 win, April 2, 2004.
HOME PROTECTION
Since taking over the program ahead of the 2023-24 season, the Eagles hold a 24-3 record at home under Ryan Kucera, a mark that included the Eagles going a perfect 11-0 at home in 2024, 10-2 last year, and 3-1 in 2026 following their 4-3 loss to Northern Illinois (March 13). In the previous six seasons played ahead of Kucera's arrival, the Eagles were 21-30, including a 3-4 mark in the 2022-23 season. The win totals also rank as the highest (11) and second-highest (10) in single-season history for the program.
STRAIGHT TO THE (DOUBLES) POINT
Eastern has captured the doubles point in 8-of-16 matches (50 percent) played this season and has secured the point in 56.5 percent of matches played under Ryan Kucera (35-of-62) 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).
DOUBLES TALES
Since Ryan Kucera took over ahead of the 2023-24 season, doubles have been a key component to the team's success. In the 62 matches played, the Eagles have won the doubles point 35 times (56.5 percent) which has translated into a 28-7 record in the team match and wins in 10 consecutive team matches when winning the doubles point. Conversely, the Eagles are 5-22 when they don't win the doubles point, including the 4-3 win over Bradley at home, Feb. 20.
WHEN TWO IS ONE
Through the match at UMass (March 15), the Eagles have captured the doubles point 8-of-16 times this year with the team of Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova adding the point-clinching win five times. The freshmen duo has clinched the point four times from the No. 2 position while adding one at the No. 1 spot.
BRINGING IN THE CLOSER?
Following her clinching point at No. 5 singles against Bradley (Feb. 20), Matilde Parreira has been a closer of late for the Eagles as she clinched the deciding point in back-to-back matches, including the 5-2 victory at Butler (Feb. 14). Parreira and Pehal Kharadkar are tied for the team lead with three match-clinching points this year, but Parreira has a big lead when including doubles clinches as she holds eight combined wins in 2026 with doubles partner Sabrina Tolstova next in line with six.
ROOKIES ROCKING
The four freshmen added to the roster this year have made immediate impacts for the Eagles as they lead the team in singles wins and combined wins through the match played at No. 55 North Florida (March 4). Matilde Parreira leads the team in singles wins (13) and combined wins (25) while sitting tied for the lead in doubles victories with playing partner Sabrina Tolstova (12). Tolstova has also reached 21 combined wins in her rookie season as she has added nine singles wins. Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya and Pehel Kharadkar each have secured 11 singles wins as well with Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya closing in on 20 combined wins as she has tallied 19 total this year following her win at No. 1 doubles against the Braves. All told, the freshmen have tallied 44-of-59 wins in singles play this year.
ROAD WINS
The loss at Michigan State (Feb. 1) also was the first of the year on the road for EMU, which halted their four-match winning streak away from home. The 4-0 start tied for the third-best road showing in program history with only the 2002-03 and 1983-84 teams starting better as both opened at 6-0. Eastern has rebounded since then with two wins for a 6-2 road record in 2025-26.
ON THE HORIZON
Eastern is slated for one match next week as the Eagles will play host to the Bulls of the University at Buffalo, March 27, at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. The Mid-American Conference contest is slated to start at 1 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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