A close contest at the Chippewa Club
The Eastern Michigan University tennis team opened its Mid-American Conference (MAC) season with a high-stakes home match against Northern Illinois University (NIU) on Friday, March 13. Entering the contest with a respectable 9-5 overall record, the Eagles were looking to defend their home turf at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. However, the visiting Huskies, who boasted a formidable 14-3 record coming into the day, proved to be a difficult hurdle in a match that came down to the final individual pairings.
Despite the home-court advantage and strong individual performances, the Eagles fell 4-3 to the Huskies. This loss brought Eastern’s overall record to 9-6 and marked an 0-1 start to their conference campaign. Meanwhile, NIU improved to 15-3 overall and claimed the early lead in the MAC standings with a 1-0 record.
The doubles point struggle
The afternoon began with a competitive battle for the doubles point, which often serves as a momentum shifter in collegiate tennis. The Huskies took an early lead after the Eagles fell at No. 1 doubles, where the pair of Kseniia Saenko and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya was defeated 6-3 by NIU’s Malika Kabdesh and Nataly Ninova.
Eastern Michigan showed resilience at the No. 3 spot. The duo of Regina Mendez Carreño and Iva Daneva delivered a commanding 6-2 victory over NIU’s Irmak Budak and Jenna Horne. This win briefly kept the Eagles' hopes alive for the doubles point. However, the decision ultimately rested on the No. 2 flight. In a close set, the NIU team of Isabella Righi and Lucia Yecora edged out EMU’s Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova 6-4. This victory secured the doubles point for the Huskies, giving them a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Singles rally falls short
The Huskies initially extended their lead to 2-0 following a win at No. 2 singles, where Theodora Kousiou defeated Pehal Kharadkar in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0. Facing a growing deficit, the Eagles began a spirited comeback fueled by their younger talent.
Freshman Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya put the Eagles on the board with a gritty performance at the No. 1 singles position, defeating Irmak Budak 7-5, 6-4. The momentum continued to swing in Eastern’s favor when Regina Mendez Carreño completed an excellent day of personal play by dominating Isabella Righi at No. 6 singles, winning 6-3, 6-2. Mendez Carreño’s victory effectively tied the team score at 2-2, turning the match into a best-of-three-points sprint to the finish.
The Huskies, however, regained control in the middle of the lineup. At No. 5 singles, Rebeca Miralles defeated Kseniia Saenko 6-4, 6-3. The match was officially clinched for NIU at the No. 4 spot, where Nataly Ninova took down Matilde Parreira with a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Although the team result had been decided, Sabrina Tolstova displayed remarkable tenacity at No. 3 singles. She battled through a three-set marathon to defeat Lucia Yecora 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, providing the final point for the Eagles and settling the final score at 4-3.
Historical context and seasonal standings
The loss was particularly significant given the historical context of the rivalry. This match represented the final regular-season MAC meeting between the two schools before Northern Illinois departs for the Horizon League next year. Following the result, Eastern Michigan holds a 23-10 lead in the all-time series against the Huskies, including an 11-5 record when playing as the host.
The defeat also marked a rare blemish on the Eagles' home record. It was the first time Eastern lost at home during the 2025-26 season, bringing their home record to 3-1. Under Head coach Ryan Kucera, the Eagles have maintained an impressive 24-3 record at the Chippewa Club, making this narrow loss a surprising turn for the program. Furthermore, the Eagles have now struggled in conference openers, losing six consecutive MAC lid lifters and falling to 24-20 all-time in league-opening matches.
Road ahead: A trip to Amherst
The Eagles will not have much time to dwell on the loss as they prepare for their first MAC road trip of the season. On Sunday, March 15, the team will travel to Amherst, Massachusetts, to face a new conference opponent: the University of Massachusetts.
The match against UMass is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Bay Road Indoor Tennis Center. As the Eagles look to even their conference record at 1-1, they will rely on the momentum generated by their freshmen and the consistent play of veterans like Mendez Carreño to find success on the road.
