In a must-win scenario on the regular season's final day, the Eastern Michigan University tennis team delivered, triumphing with a resounding 6-1 victory over Bowling Green State University on Sunday, April 21, at the Perrysburg Tennis Center. The Eagles (12-10, 6-4 Mid-American Conference) clinched their first away win of the season and seized the crucial doubles point, igniting their momentum against the Falcons (7-15, 0-10 MAC). EMU marks their return to the event for the first time since 2018.
Continuing their winning streak, the Eagles claimed an early 1-0 lead for the second time this weekend and the twelfth time this year by dominating the doubles matches. The duo of Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic) and Ksyusha Saenko (Voronezh, Russia) secured a swift 6-0 victory at No. 3, while Linda Eloundou (Yaounde, Cameroon) and Andrea Quiroz (Lima, Peru) sealed the deal with a 6-4 win at No. 2, clinching the crucial doubles point. Although the No. 1 match featuring Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India) was abandoned with EMU in the lead, the Eagles charged into singles play with confidence.
In singles action, Vichare continued her impressive performance with a decisive 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 2. Despite a brief setback with a win by the Falcons at No. 4, the Eagles rallied, sweeping the remaining four matches to secure the team victory. Shved dominated at No. 1 with a 6-4, 6-0 win, followed by Quiroz's clinching victory at No. 3 with a score of 6-1, 6-3. Saenko followed suit with a hard-fought 7-6 (4), 6-1 triumph at No. 5, while Brichackova wrapped up the Eagles' success with a solid 7-5, 6-2 victory at No. 6.
Coming up next, the Eagles are geared up for the 2024 MAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed. Their journey starts Friday, April 26, at 10 a.m. against the top-seeded University of Toledo at the UT Tennis Courts in Toledo, Ohio. The victor will advance to the championship game on Saturday, April 27, at 1 p.m., facing off against the winner of the second semifinal between No. 2 Western Michigan University and No. 3 Miami University.
