The dual match took place at the Mandy Stoll Tennis Complex with a 10 a.m. start time. For the Eagles, this encounter was significant as it represented their first outdoor competition of 2026. Entering the match with a 9-3 record, Eastern Michigan faced a Stetson team looking to level their own season record, which they successfully did, improving to 4-4 with the victory. The transition from indoor facilities to the Florida elements proved to be a factor as the Hatters utilized their home-court advantage to secure a dominant team win.
The battle for the doubles point
The competition began with a highly contested doubles round that nearly saw the Eagles take an early lead.
Early exchange at No. 1 and No. 2
Stetson struck first at the No. 1 doubles position, where the duo of Anastasija Adeikyte and Katia Tuliakova defeated EMU’s Kseniia Saenko and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya with a score of 6-3. However, Eastern Michigan quickly responded at the No. 2 spot. The freshmen pair of Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova, who had recently been named the MAC Doubles Team of the Week, continued their strong form by securing a 6-2 victory over Stetson’s Astigarraga Harper and Dana Baidaulet.
The deciding tiebreaker at No. 3
With the doubles split at 1-1, the point rested on the results of the No. 3 match. Iva Daneva and Regina Mendez Carreño battled Stetson’s Clelia Lombardi and Yuki Mizuguchi to a 6-6 deadlock, forcing a tiebreaker. The Hatters ultimately prevailed in the tiebreaker, winning the match 7-6 and securing the critical 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Singles competition breakdown
While the doubles point was a narrow affair, Stetson found more separation in the singles matches, winning all six flights.
Straight-set decisions
The Hatters secured the team victory by winning the first five completed singles matches in straight sets.
- No. 2 singles: Katia Tuliakova defeated Lara Diaz Zayas (6-0, 6-1).
- No. 4 singles: Yuki Mizuguchi defeated Pehal Kharadkar (6-1, 6-0).
- No. 1 singles: Astigarraga Harper defeated Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya (6-2, 6-3).
- No. 6 singles: Clelia Lombardi defeated Matilde Parreira (6-3, 6-2).
- No. 3 singles: Anastasija Adeikyte defeated Sabrina Tolstova (6-2, 6-4).
The marathon at No. 5
The final match to finish was at No. 5 singles, featuring Kseniia Saenko in her first singles appearance of the 2026 season. After dropping the first set 6-1, Saenko showed grit by taking the second set 6-4. The match moved to a 10-point tiebreaker instead of a third set, which Stetson's Dana Baidaulet narrowly won 10-6 to complete the sweep.
Historical significance and series record
This matchup added a new chapter to the long-standing history between the two programs, which dates back to 1984. Although EMU still leads the all-time series 6-3, they have now lost two consecutive matches to the Hatters. Notably, this was the first time Stetson had ever swept Eastern Michigan. Conversely, EMU holds two 9-0 sweeps over Stetson from the mid-1980s. All nine meetings between these programs have occurred in DeLand, Florida.
Looking ahead: The road to MAC play
The Eagles do not have much time to dwell on the loss, as their Florida trip continues.
- Next Match: Wednesday, March 4, against the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
- Conference Outlook: This upcoming match will be the final non-conference tune-up before EMU begins Mid-American Conference (MAC) play on March 13. Their conference opener will be a home match against Northern Illinois University.
The team remains focused on leveraging these high-level out-of-conference matches to prepare for the rigors of the MAC schedule.
