East Michigan News

The Eastern Michigan University (EMU) tennis team is preparing for two dual matches this week. The Eagles will travel to Cleveland State University on Friday, February 14, and then host Butler University on Sunday, February 16. The match against Cleveland State will take place at the Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion in Cleveland, while the game against Butler will be held at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti.

The Eagles are currently facing a challenging period after an 0-2 weekend with losses to Oakland and Michigan State. Their defeat to Oakland ended a 13-match home winning streak that began in April 2023. EMU has managed to secure the doubles point in four out of six matches this season.

Historically, Eastern Michigan has struggled when playing on Valentine's Day, holding a record of 1-4. They last played on this date in 2015 when they lost to Pittsburgh.

Prerna Vichare continues to excel in doubles play, achieving her career's 52nd win recently. She shares this accomplishment with teammate Sabina Brichackova; both players are close to entering the program's all-time top 20 list for doubles wins.

In recent preseason predictions by MAC coaches, EMU was ranked third behind Miami and Toledo. Last year, under coach Ryan Kucera's leadership, the team reached its first MAC Tournament since 2018.

Cleveland State holds a record of 3-4 overall and has been strong at home with two wins out of three matches. Meanwhile, Butler is struggling with an overall record of 0-6 and remains winless on the road.

Eastern Michigan leads their all-time series against both Cleveland State and Butler but faces challenges as they have lost recent encounters against these teams.

Looking ahead, EMU will host a doubleheader next Saturday against Findlay and Eastern Illinois at their home venue in Ypsilanti.

For updates on EMU Tennis, fans can follow their social media accounts @EMUEaglesTennis on X (formerly Twitter) and EMU_Tennis on Instagram.