Spartans Host Marquette and Dartmouth This Weekend

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's tennis team returns home this weekend for two matches, hosting Marquette on Friday, Feb. 22 and Dartmouth College on Sunday, Feb. 24. The Spartans will take on Marquette at 5 p.m. on Friday and Dartmouth at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Both matches will take place at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility.

"Two good matches this weekend at home," MSU head coach Kim Bruno said. "We just have to take care of some of our opportunities. Every time we step out on the court, we've had opportunity after opportunity. We've been getting better at it throughout the season, we definitely have. I'm picking this weekend to be a big turnaround for our team."

Marquette leads the all-time series history 5-3, while this will be only the third meeting between Dartmouth and Michigan State, in a series that is tied at 1-1.

MSU has proven to be successful in home matches, as the team posted a 9-3 record in matches in East Lansing last season. The team has continued this tradition as they sit at 3-0 in home matches this season.

The Spartans are coming off a split weekend in which they defeated Wright State, 7-0, bouncing back after falling to Notre Dame on the road, 4-0, on Feb. 16. The team is now 6-4 on the season.

In doubles, senior Emily Metcalf and freshman Maja Pietrowicz have continued to lead the doubles lineup for the Spartans, as they are 7-1 at No. 1 doubles in dual matches this season. Metcalf and Pietrowicz are currently ranked No. 56 in the latest Oracle/ITA Women's Division I Doubles Rankings.

Junior Samantha Memije and freshman Nicole Stephens continue to see success in both singles and doubles this spring. The duo has paired for a 5-1 record at No. 2 doubles.

Memije, who had a 17-3 singles record last season while playing a majority of matches at No. 5 and 6 singles, has moved her way up in the lineup this season. Memije has a record of 5-1 in singles this spring, playing consistently at No. 2 singles. Against Wright State, Memije got her first victory at first singles, with a straight-set, 6-4, 6-2, victory.

"Since day one, (Memije's) been someone that has shown up, listens, is coachable and gets to work," Bruno said. "She doesn't let things phase her and doesn't let a bad day or a bad moment span throughout her career. She's able to reflect on it and show up day-to-day; That's what has made her so good and her ability to improve in a short period of time at such a high level. She's been one of our most reliable players at our highest spot."

Stephens has also been a consistent spark for the Spartans, as she holds an 8-1 record this spring, playing a majority of matches at the fourth, fifth and sixth positions. Stephens' only loss this season came at the hands of Notre Dame's Brooke Broda.

The Spartans continue its stretch of home matches as they host DePaul on Friday, Feb. 28, at 5 p.m. at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility.