MSU women’s tennis add two wins to their belt in final Sunday doubleheader sweep.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State women's tennis completed its final non-conference doubleheader of the season with a pair of sweeping wins of 4-0 against Youngstown State and 4-1 against Ball State.
With Sunday's two wins, the Spartans advance to a record of 8-2, riding an eight-match win streak and going undefeated during the month of February. MSU's eight-match win streak is the longest win streak since the 2004-05 season, when the Green & White won 10-match in a row.
The victory against Ball State also served as MSU head coach Kim Bruno's 99th win as head coach of the Spartans, on track to earn her 100th win for the Green & White in the coming weeks.
Sunday commenced with a doubles contest against Youngstown State at 10 a.m.
The Penguins were quick in their pursuit towards the doubles point, with the Spartans' freshman/redshirt-sophomore duo of Ellie Blackford/Hanna Tsitavets being topped by Youngstown's Julia Marko/Ghada Dirninger 2-6.
Luckily, the Spartans were determined in their efforts, with the junior duo of Matilde Morais/Issey Purser evening the score 6-3 against Lili Minich/Line Greyling, leaving the fate of the doubles point in the hands of junior Sarah Fazlagic and redshirt-sophomore Natalie Stasny.
With the pressure on, the Stasny/Fazlagic duo defeated the Lili Minich/Line Greyling tandem 6-4, securing the doubles point for the Spartans.
Michigan State made quick work of its Youngstown opponents, starting with Tsitavets at No. 3 singles. The Spartan sophomore was quick to add to the score, going 6-1, 6-2 against Lorena Cedeno.
Following in suit was Purser, who put up yet another strong performance on the court at singles No. 4 securing her match vs. YSU's Yeseniia Ovcharova, 6-2, 7-5.
Securing the match for the Green & White was Stasny who took her match 7-5, 6-1 in a faceoff against Ghada Dirninger of YSU.
The rest of the singles matches went unfinished with the Spartans clinching the win.
Following the match against YSU was a 2 p.m. faceoff against Ball State, where the Spartans allowed just one point against them.
The match kicked off with a victorious doubles feat, where the Blackford/Purser and Morais/Tsitavets pairings locked down the doubles point for the team.
Blackford/Purser went 6-1, while Morais/Tsitavets won, 6-4.
It was another race to clinch the match, with singles matches swinging into intense action.
On court six Fazlagic, fell to the Cardinals' Elle Hazelbaker 2-6, 2-6, allowing BSU to even the score at 1-1.
The Spartans advanced to 2-1 with Matilde Morais slating a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 2 singles against Jemima Williams-Phillips, adding to the Spartans total.
Closely following was Blackford, who closed her match in a dominating 6-4, 6-0 manner at No. 1 singles, furthering the Green & White's lead to 3-1.
With yet another match-clinching performance, Natalie Stasny defeated her Ball State opponent, Alana Bristow, 6-4, 7-5.
After Sunday's sweep, the Spartans travel to New York City, N.Y. with an 8-2 record to face off against Columbia on Sunday, Mar. 2 at 10:30 a.m.
Following the quick weekend trip on the road, Big Ten conference play begins in Iowa City, Iowa for the Spartans to face off against the Iowa Blackhawks on Friday, Mar. 7 at 6 p.m. ET.
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WTennis
Youngstown State vs Michigan State
Michigan State 4, Youngstown State 0
Singles competition
1. Ellie Blackford (MSU-W) vs. Julia Marko (YSU) 6-4, 5-3, unfinished
2. Matilde Morais (MSU-W) vs. Lili Minich (YSU) 6-1, 4-4, unfinished
3. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU-W) def. Lorena Cedeno (YSU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Issey Purser (MSU-W) def. Yeseniia Ovcharova (YSU) 6-2, 7-5
5. Natalie Stasny (MSU-W) def. Ghada Dirninger (YSU) 7-5, 6-1
6. Sarah Fazlagic (MSU-W) vs. Line Greyling (YSU) 6-7 (6-8), 4-3, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Julia Marko/Ghada Dirninger (YSU) def. Ellie Blackford/Hanna Tsitavets (MSU-W) 6-2
2. Matilde Morais/Issey Purser (MSU-W) def. Lili Minich/Line Greyling (YSU) 6-3
3. Natalie Stasny/Sarah Fazlagic (MSU-W) def. Lorena Cedeno/Yeseniia Ovcharova (YSU) 6-4
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,4,5)
Ball State vs Michigan State
Michigan State 4, Ball State 1
Singles competition
1. Ellie Blackford (MSU-W) def. Elena Malykh (BSU) 6-4, 6-0
2. Matilde Morais (MSU-W) def. J. Williams-Phillips (BSU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU-W) vs. Chloe Brown (BSU) 6-7 (0-6), 2-4, 2-1, unfinished
4. Issey Purser (MSU-W) vs. Isabel Tanjuatco (BSU) 6-2, 3-6, 2-0, unfinished
5. Natalie Stasny (MSU-W) def. Alana Bristow (BSU) 6-4, 7-5
6. Ella Hazelbaker (BSU) def. Sarah Fazlagic (MSU-W) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Matilde Morais/Hanna Tsitavets (MSU-W) def. Chloe Brown/Alana Bristow (BSU) 6-4
2. Ellie Blackford/Issey Purser (MSU-W) def. Isabel Tanjuatco/J. Williams-Phillips (BSU) 6-1
3. Elena Malykh/Ella Hazelbaker (BSU) def. Natalie Stasny/Olivia Kutlova (MSU-W) 6-0
Match Notes:
Ball State 3-4
Michigan State 8-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,2,1,5)
Recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.
