YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University tennis team returned to its home courts Friday, April 11, and secured a 5-2 Mid-American Conference win over Northern Illinois University inside the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti as the Eagles snapped the Huskies’ six-match winning streak behind solid play throughout the lineup. The Eagles (10-11, 3-5 MAC) took the doubles point for the third consecutive match before winning three of the first four singles contests to secure the win over the visiting Huskies (20-5, 6-2 MAC).
“[I am] really proud of the team for bouncing back today,” Head Coach Ryan Kucera said. “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. 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. For us to get straight wins at the top three positions and sweep the top 4, it took a lot of discipline and composure. I am especially proud of Prerna (Vichare) for bouncing back from losing the second; she really raised her level in the third. Today is great momentum for us going into Senior Day (Sunday)!”
EMU grabbed a 1-0 lead as the Eagles won the first two doubles matches to secure the point. Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czechia/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) set the tone early with their 6-0 win at No. 1 before the team of Marta Komar (Inowroclaw, Poland/Sopocka (Sopot) Tennis Academy/Wayne State) and Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) scored a 6-2 win at No. 2.
The Huskies pulled level at 1-1 with a No. 6 singles, but that was as close as they would get as the Eagles claimed victories in the next four matches for a 5-1 lead. NIU closed the dual with a win at No. 5 to make it 5-2. EMU reclaimed the lead with Brichackova taking a 6-3, 6-3 decision at No. 3 before Viki Hazmukova (Skvorec, Czechia/Skoly Brezova) secured a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2. The team win was clinched at No. 1 where Shved claimed a 6-4, 6-3 win. The final win for the Eagles came from Vichare at No. 4, who battled to a 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 win.
Match Notes
» Eastern improved to 10-11 overall and 3-5 in MAC play while the Huskies fell to 20-5 overall and 6-2 in league action.
» Eastern improved to 9-2 at home this year and 20-2 overall in the last two seasons under Ryan Kucera. The nine wins are the second-most in a single season behind last year’s perfect 11-0 record at the Chippewa Club.
» Daniella Shved clinched the team win with her straight-sets win at No. 1. The reigning MAC Singles Player of the Week, Shved has won three consecutive matches since returning to the No. 1 position.
» Daniella Shved also had a hand in clinching the doubles point for the Eagles as she and partner Marta Komar claiming a 6-2 win at No. 3 for the deciding victory.
» Sabina Brichackova and Prerna Vichare secured the win at No. 1 doubles, giving the duo their 43rd win together. The two Eagles continued their climb up the program’s all-time wins chart as Brichackova is now tied for 16th with 61 wins and Vichare sits 20th with 59 wins.
» Sabina Brichackova won her singles match at No. 3 to bring her career total to 57, which tied her with Victoria Domina (2003-05) for 20th on the ledger. Additionally, she brought her career combined wins total to 118, leaving her three away from reaching the program’s all-time top 20 for combined wins.
Up Next
The Eagles will play host to Bowling Green State University Sunday, April 13, in a 1 p.m. Senior Day match at the Chippewa Club. The program will honor its seniors starting at 12:45 p.m.
Follow Us
Stay up to date with EMU tennis by following the team on its social media channels. The team can be found on Instagram (@emu_tennis), X (@EMUEaglesTennis), and Facebook (EMUTennis).
Eastern Michigan def. Northern Illinois, 5-2
Singles
#1: Daniella Shved (EM) def. Maria Dzemeshkevich, 6-4, 6-3
#2: Viki Hazmukova (EM) def. Irmak Budak, 6-4, 6-3
#3: Sabina Brichackova (EM) def. Lucia Yecora, 6-3, 6-3
#4: Prerna Vichare (EM) def. Nataly Ninova, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2
#5: Isabella Righi (NI) def. Kseniia Saenko, 7-6(5), 6-2
#6: Jenna Horne (NI) def. Marta Komar, 6-4, 6-2
Order of Finish: 6, 3, 2, 1, 4, 5
Doubles
#1: S. Brichackova / P. Vichare (EM) def. Erika Dimitriev / N. Ninova, 6-0
#2: V. Hazmukova / K. Saenko (EM vs. I. Righi / L. Yecora (NI), 3-5, unf.
#3: M. Komar / D. Shved (EM) def. J. Horne / Reagan Welch, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3
“[I am] really proud of the team for bouncing back today,” Head Coach Ryan Kucera said. “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. 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. For us to get straight wins at the top three positions and sweep the top 4, it took a lot of discipline and composure. I am especially proud of Prerna (Vichare) for bouncing back from losing the second; she really raised her level in the third. Today is great momentum for us going into Senior Day (Sunday)!”
EMU grabbed a 1-0 lead as the Eagles won the first two doubles matches to secure the point. Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czechia/Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava) and Prerna Vichare (Mumbai, India/Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics) set the tone early with their 6-0 win at No. 1 before the team of Marta Komar (Inowroclaw, Poland/Sopocka (Sopot) Tennis Academy/Wayne State) and Daniella Shved (Holon, Israel/Ort Holon) scored a 6-2 win at No. 2.
The Huskies pulled level at 1-1 with a No. 6 singles, but that was as close as they would get as the Eagles claimed victories in the next four matches for a 5-1 lead. NIU closed the dual with a win at No. 5 to make it 5-2. EMU reclaimed the lead with Brichackova taking a 6-3, 6-3 decision at No. 3 before Viki Hazmukova (Skvorec, Czechia/Skoly Brezova) secured a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2. The team win was clinched at No. 1 where Shved claimed a 6-4, 6-3 win. The final win for the Eagles came from Vichare at No. 4, who battled to a 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 win.
Match Notes
» Eastern improved to 10-11 overall and 3-5 in MAC play while the Huskies fell to 20-5 overall and 6-2 in league action.
» Eastern improved to 9-2 at home this year and 20-2 overall in the last two seasons under Ryan Kucera. The nine wins are the second-most in a single season behind last year’s perfect 11-0 record at the Chippewa Club.
» Daniella Shved clinched the team win with her straight-sets win at No. 1. The reigning MAC Singles Player of the Week, Shved has won three consecutive matches since returning to the No. 1 position.
» Daniella Shved also had a hand in clinching the doubles point for the Eagles as she and partner Marta Komar claiming a 6-2 win at No. 3 for the deciding victory.
» Sabina Brichackova and Prerna Vichare secured the win at No. 1 doubles, giving the duo their 43rd win together. The two Eagles continued their climb up the program’s all-time wins chart as Brichackova is now tied for 16th with 61 wins and Vichare sits 20th with 59 wins.
» Sabina Brichackova won her singles match at No. 3 to bring her career total to 57, which tied her with Victoria Domina (2003-05) for 20th on the ledger. Additionally, she brought her career combined wins total to 118, leaving her three away from reaching the program’s all-time top 20 for combined wins.
Up Next
The Eagles will play host to Bowling Green State University Sunday, April 13, in a 1 p.m. Senior Day match at the Chippewa Club. The program will honor its seniors starting at 12:45 p.m.
Follow Us
Stay up to date with EMU tennis by following the team on its social media channels. The team can be found on Instagram (@emu_tennis), X (@EMUEaglesTennis), and Facebook (EMUTennis).
Eastern Michigan def. Northern Illinois, 5-2
Singles
#1: Daniella Shved (EM) def. Maria Dzemeshkevich, 6-4, 6-3
#2: Viki Hazmukova (EM) def. Irmak Budak, 6-4, 6-3
#3: Sabina Brichackova (EM) def. Lucia Yecora, 6-3, 6-3
#4: Prerna Vichare (EM) def. Nataly Ninova, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2
#5: Isabella Righi (NI) def. Kseniia Saenko, 7-6(5), 6-2
#6: Jenna Horne (NI) def. Marta Komar, 6-4, 6-2
Order of Finish: 6, 3, 2, 1, 4, 5
Doubles
#1: S. Brichackova / P. Vichare (EM) def. Erika Dimitriev / N. Ninova, 6-0
#2: V. Hazmukova / K. Saenko (EM vs. I. Righi / L. Yecora (NI), 3-5, unf.
#3: M. Komar / D. Shved (EM) def. J. Horne / Reagan Welch, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3
