On March 27, 2026, the Eastern Michigan women’s tennis team took on the Buffalo Bulls at The Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where they lost 6-1. The Eagles now set their sights on their next matchup against the Ball State Cardinals in Muncie, Indiana, on April 3, 2026.
Doubles
Eastern Michigan ran into early trouble during doubles play, as Buffalo quickly took control and secured the opening point of the match. The Bulls found success in the No. 2 position, where Buffalo’s Blanca Berges and Liv Roestel put together a strong performance. The duo stayed in control throughout and came away with a 6-2 win over Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova, giving Buffalo an early edge.
That momentum carried over into the No. 3 spot. Sarah Hartel and Julia Laspro continued Buffalo’s strong start, defeating Iva Daneva and Regina Mendez Carreño 6-3. With wins in both the second and third positions, the Bulls officially clinched the doubles point before the final match could be finished.
The No. 1 doubles match was shaping up to be the most competitive of the three. Both sides were locked in a tight battle, tied at five games apiece. However, with the doubles point already decided, the match was left unfinished. Buffalo entered singles play with a 1-0 advantage, setting the tone early, meaning the Eagles had to respond quickly.
Singles
Eastern Michigan showed flashes of resilience during singles play, but Buffalo maintained control across the lineup. The Eagles’ biggest moment came at the top of the lineup, where Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya earned Eastern Michigan’s lone point with a strong comeback performance. After dropping the first set 6-3, she responded by taking a tightly contested second set in a tiebreak, 7-6, before carrying that momentum into a 6-1 win in the third set.
Buffalo responded quickly and regained control. In the No. 2 position, Julia Laspro defeated Pehal Kharadkar in three sets, while Maria Glowacka followed with another three-set win at No. 3, bouncing back after dropping the first set to defeat Sabrina Tolstova.
The Bulls continued to find success in close matches, particularly in the No. 4 spot. Sarah Hartel recovered after losing the opening set to Lara Diaz Zayas and went on to win, extending Buffalo’s lead.
From there, Buffalo closed out the match with straight-set victories in the final two matches. Liv Roestel earned a win over Matilde Parreira at No. 5, while Blanca Berges secured the final point with a win against Regina Mendez Carreño at No. 6.
By the end of singles play, Buffalo had taken five of the six matches, sealing the 6-1 result. Eastern Michigan now has a record of 10-9.
Successes
Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya’s comeback win at the top singles position stood out as a key moment for Eastern Michigan. Battling through a three-set match and a second-set tiebreak, she showed resilience and composure to secure the Eagles’ lone point. Her performance continues to highlight consistency at the top of the lineup, especially in tightly contested matches. Hukmasabiyya was recently named the MAC Singles Player of the Week.
Hukmasabiyya is now 4-1 in MAC singles matches, and 15-8 overall. Her recent stretch has provided stability at the top of the lineup and continues to be a positive sign as conference play progresses.
Looking ahead
Eastern Michigan will look to regroup as conference play continues. The next stop for the Eagles will be Muncie, Indiana, where they will take on another Mid-American Conference team, the Ball State Cardinals. The conference matchup will take place on April 3, 2026.
