East Michigan News

The Eastern Michigan University (EMU) tennis team narrowly fell to Miami University in a closely contested Mid-American Conference matchup. Competition was held on Sunday, March 30 at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti, resulting in Miami securing a 4-3 victory. This marks the fourth consecutive one-point loss for EMU, bringing their season record to 9-9 overall and 2-3 within the MAC.

The home team initially fell behind with a 2-0 deficit following a loss in the doubles point and at No. 1 singles. However, the Eagles managed to fight back as Kseniia Saenko and Lara Diaz Zayas captured vital wins that leveled the score at 2-2. Saenko secured a 6-0, 6-4 triumph playing at No. 4, followed by Diaz Zayas who delivered a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 6.

Miami regained an edge by winning a three-set contest at No. 5. Nonetheless, EMU equalized once more thanks to Daniella Shved's 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory at No. 2 singles. The decisive match saw Sabina Brichackova fighting valiantly at No. 3, only to narrowly lose with scores of 4-6, 6-0, 7-6(3).

"The match ended in a 4-3 score, consistent with our last three against MAC opponents," as noted by team statistics. "Our record now stands at 3-4 in matches decided by a single point this season."

Furthermore, the loss against Miami broke the Eagles' six-match home winning streak, as Head Coach Ryan Kucera's squad now holds an 18-2 home record over the past two seasons.

Looking ahead, EMU is set to compete in two away MAC matches. They will face the University of Toledo on Friday, April 4 followed by the University at Buffalo on Sunday, April 6. Both matches are scheduled to commence at 1 p.m.

For updates, fans can follow EMU tennis on Instagram (@emu_tennis), X (@EMUEaglesTennis), and Facebook (EMUTennis).