MSU Defeats Xavier, 5-2, in Home-Opener

Friday, February 1

East Lansing, Mich.

1:00 p.m.

Michigan State University

Xavier University

2/1/2019 6:09:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich.– The Michigan State women's tennis team defeated Xavier, 5-2, in its home-opener on Friday afternoon at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility. The team improves to 3-2 on the season with the victory.

"We definitely got on top of them right away in doubles, which got us off to a good, positive start," MSU head coach Kim Bruno said. "Xavier's doing well this year so we knew things weren't going to be that easy and that doubles point was huge for us."

MSU started off on a hot streak by winning two consecutive doubles matches to clinch the doubles point.

At No. 2 doubles, the duo of Samantha Memije and freshman Nicole Stephens defeated Sophia Abelson and Kaitlin Ruether, 6-2, to put MSU in the running for the doubles point.

The point was then clinched on court one, with senior Emily Metcalf and freshman Maja Pietrowicz defeating Emily Thomas and Ahmeir Kyle, 6-2. Metcalf and Pietrowicz improve to 4-0 on the season at No. 1 doubles.

With a 1-0 lead going into singles play, the Spartans looked to continue their momentum as they won the first two singles matches.

Stephens kicked things off for the Spartans in singles with a straight-set victory over Ruether, 6-1, 6-2, on court six. Stephens improves to 4-0 this spring.

At No. 5 singles, senior Davina Nguyen downed Hunter Roper, 6-2, 6-0, to give the Spartans a 3-0 advantage.

Xavier scored their first point of the match as Metcalf fell to Thomas, 6-2, 6-2 on court three.

Memije clinched the match for the Spartans, defeating Abelson, 6-2, 7-6, at No. 2 singles.

On court one, freshman Lauren Lemonds fell to Kyle, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. To close out the match, Pietrowicz defeated Rachael Reichenbach in tiebreakers, 7-6, 6-4, 10-2 at No. 4 singles.

"There were a couple of areas in singles that I think we're going to need to elevate going into Michigan tomorrow," Bruno said. "Let's make those adjustments and let's go. We have to feel good about this win and carry it into tomorrow."

The Spartans will travel to Ann Arbor Saturday to face in-state rival Michigan at 1 p.m. in the first Big Ten contest of the season. The match will take place at the Varsity Tennis Center.