The Eastern Michigan University (EMU) women’s tennis team achieved a victory against Northern Illinois University (NIU) in a Mid-American Conference match. The match took place on Friday, April 11 inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti, resulting in a 5-2 win for the Eagles, thwarting the Huskies’ six-match winning streak.
This win brought EMU’s season record to 10-11 overall and 3-5 in conference play. For NIU, the loss brought their record to 20-5 overall and 6-2 in conference games.
Head Coach Ryan Kucera commented on the performance, saying, “[I am] really proud of the team for bouncing back today. NIU is a great team, and they’ve had a strong season. We were very disciplined with our tactics in doubles, we stuck with what we needed to do, and it worked well.”
The Eagles secured the doubles point early by winning the first two matches. Sabina Brichackova and Prerna Vichare claimed a 6-0 win at No. 1 doubles, while Marta Komar and Daniella Shved secured a 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles. Coach Kucera added, “We knew in singles that we would have to raise our intensity and I’m proud of how we did that, especially at the top of the lineup.”
In singles play, the Eagles extended their lead with victories in four consecutive matches after NIU briefly leveled the score to 1-1. Sabina Brichackova won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3, Viki Hazmukova won 6-4, 6-3 at No. 2, and Daniella Shved secured a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 1. Prerna Vichare fought for a 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 victory at No. 4 singles to contribute to the Eagles’ dominance.
The team wrap-up was rounded off by wins from Brichackova and Vichare in doubles play, increasing their combined career victories. Looking ahead, EMU will host Bowling Green State University on Sunday, April 13 for Senior Day, starting with a ceremony at 12:45 p.m.
The victory signifies momentum for the team as Coach Kucera reflects, “Today is great momentum for us going into Senior Day (Sunday)!”
