The Eastern Michigan University tennis team proved its mettle this past weekend, completing a demanding five-match road stretch with a pair of hard-fought victories against Big East opponents. The Eagles, who are 8-3 showcased the depth of their roster and the resilience of their freshman class as they secured wins over DePaul University and Butler University.
Chicago gritty: Eagles edge Blue Demons in windy city thriller
The road trip began on Friday, Feb. 13, at the XS Tennis Center in Chicago, where the Eagles faced the DePaul squad. Entering the match on a three-match slide, Eastern Michigan needed a spark to regain its early-season momentum.
The match began with a unique advantage for the Eagles, as the No. 3 doubles pairing of Iva Daneva and Regina Mendez Carreño secured a victory by walkover before play even commenced. Although the Blue Demons claimed the No. 1 doubles spot with a 6-2 win, the duo of Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova delivered under pressure. The pair clinched the vital doubles point for EMU with a 6-4 victory at the No. 2 position, marking the third time this season they have secured the opening point for the team.
Singles play saw the Eagles jump to a quick 2-0 lead when Kseniia Saenko was awarded a walkover victory at No. 6, marking a successful, if unusual, season debut. However, DePaul refused to fade quietly on its home court. After the Blue Demons narrowed the lead to 2-1 with a win at No. 4, Mendez Carreño provided a much-needed response, dominating her No. 5 singles match 6-1, 6-3 to push the Eagles’ lead to 3-1.
The drama peaked at the No. 2 singles spot. After dropping the first set 5-7, freshman Sabrina Tolstova rallied. She defeated her opponent in the subsequent sets, winning 6-0, 6-2 to clinch the match victory for Eastern. Tolstova became the fifth different Eagle this season to secure a clinching point, highlighting the team's balanced talent. Despite a late three-set loss at No. 1, the Eagles walked away with a 4-3 victory, snapping their losing streak and leveling their all-time record at DePaul to 2-2.
Indy dominance: Freshmen shine in Valentine’s Day victory
The Eagles carried that momentum directly into Indianapolis on Saturday, Feb. 14, for a showdown with the Butler Bulldogs at the IRC East. Head coach Ryan Kucera praised his team’s focus, noting their ability to "ride the momentum" from the previous day's performance.
Once again, the foundation of the win was built in doubles play. Daneva and Mendez Carreño struck first with a 6-3 win at the No. 3 spot. Mirroring the previous day’s heroics, Parreira and Tolstova again provided the clincher at No. 2 doubles with a 6-3 victory, moving the Eagles to an unbeaten 8-0 record this year when winning the doubles point.
In singles, the freshmen took over. Tolstova was the first to finish, racing to a near-perfect 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 3 singles to stake EMU to a 2-0 lead. Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya quickly followed suit at the No. 1 position; bouncing back from a tough Friday loss, she secured a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
The match-clinching honors this time went to Matilde Parreira at the No. 5 spot. She delivered a commanding 6-3, 6-0 performance to seal the team's wins at 4-1. The final 5-2 scoreline was settled after Mendez Carreño survived a third-set tiebreaker, and the Eagles dropped a narrow tiebreaker at No. 2.
Historical milestones and the journey home
This successful road swing was significant for more than just the standings. The win at Butler marked the 32nd victory for Ryan Kucera as EMU’s head coach, moving him into sole possession of sixth place in program history for career coaching wins. Additionally, the victory snapped a two-match losing streak against the Bulldogs and improved Eastern’s all-time record against them to 6-2.
After five consecutive matches on the road, the Eagles finally return to the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti on Friday, Feb. 20, to host Bradley University, looking to bring their winning road energy back to their home fans.
The Eastern Michigan University tennis team proved its mettle this past weekend, completing a demanding five-match road stretch with a pair of hard-fought victories against Big East opponents. The Eagles, who are 8-3 showcased the depth of their roster and the resilience of their freshman class as they secured wins over DePaul University and Butler University.
Chicago gritty: Eagles edge Blue Demons in windy city thriller
The road trip began on Friday, Feb. 13, at the XS Tennis Center in Chicago, where the Eagles faced the DePaul squad. Entering the match on a three-match slide, Eastern Michigan needed a spark to regain its early-season momentum.
The match began with a unique advantage for the Eagles, as the No. 3 doubles pairing of Iva Daneva and Regina Mendez Carreño secured a victory by walkover before play even commenced. Although the Blue Demons claimed the No. 1 doubles spot with a 6-2 win, the duo of Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova delivered under pressure. The pair clinched the vital doubles point for EMU with a 6-4 victory at the No. 2 position, marking the third time this season they have secured the opening point for the team.
Singles play saw the Eagles jump to a quick 2-0 lead when Kseniia Saenko was awarded a walkover victory at No. 6, marking a successful, if unusual, season debut. However, DePaul refused to fade quietly on its home court. After the Blue Demons narrowed the lead to 2-1 with a win at No. 4, Mendez Carreño provided a much-needed response, dominating her No. 5 singles match 6-1, 6-3 to push the Eagles’ lead to 3-1.
The drama peaked at the No. 2 singles spot. After dropping the first set 5-7, freshman Sabrina Tolstova rallied. She defeated her opponent in the subsequent sets, winning 6-0, 6-2 to clinch the match victory for Eastern. Tolstova became the fifth different Eagle this season to secure a clinching point, highlighting the team's balanced talent. Despite a late three-set loss at No. 1, the Eagles walked away with a 4-3 victory, snapping their losing streak and leveling their all-time record at DePaul to 2-2.
Indy dominance: Freshmen shine in Valentine’s Day victory
The Eagles carried that momentum directly into Indianapolis on Saturday, Feb. 14, for a showdown with the Butler Bulldogs at the IRC East. Head coach Ryan Kucera praised his team’s focus, noting their ability to "ride the momentum" from the previous day's performance.
Once again, the foundation of the win was built in doubles play. Daneva and Mendez Carreño struck first with a 6-3 win at the No. 3 spot. Mirroring the previous day’s heroics, Parreira and Tolstova again provided the clincher at No. 2 doubles with a 6-3 victory, moving the Eagles to an unbeaten 8-0 record this year when winning the doubles point.
In singles, the freshmen took over. Tolstova was the first to finish, racing to a near-perfect 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 3 singles to stake EMU to a 2-0 lead. Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya quickly followed suit at the No. 1 position; bouncing back from a tough Friday loss, she secured a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
The match-clinching honors this time went to Matilde Parreira at the No. 5 spot. She delivered a commanding 6-3, 6-0 performance to seal the team's wins at 4-1. The final 5-2 scoreline was settled after Mendez Carreño survived a third-set tiebreaker, and the Eagles dropped a narrow tiebreaker at No. 2.
Historical milestones and the journey home
This successful road swing was significant for more than just the standings. The win at Butler marked the 32nd victory for Ryan Kucera as EMU’s head coach, moving him into sole possession of sixth place in program history for career coaching wins. Additionally, the victory snapped a two-match losing streak against the Bulldogs and improved Eastern’s all-time record against them to 6-2.
After five consecutive matches on the road, the Eagles finally return to the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti on Friday, Feb. 20, to host Bradley University, looking to bring their winning road energy back to their home fans.
