Saturday, February 20
West Lafayette, Ind.
12 PM
Michigan State University
4
at
3
Purdue
Spartan Women’s Tennis Battles to 4-3 Win Over Purdue
2/20/2021 4:48:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Michigan State starts the season 3-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Junior Nicole Stephens' three-set battled clinched a hard-fought, 4-3, win for the Michigan State women's tennis team against Purdue Saturday in West Lafayette, Indiana.
This is the first time since the 2014-15 season that Michigan State has started Big Ten play 3-0. That season, the Spartans started the season 5-0 in league action. Overall, Michigan State stands 3-1 this year.
"I am so impressed with our Spartan women. They fought so hard for each other and wow did that pay off. We are getting better each match we play, so we will enjoy today and be ready for another battle tomorrow against Indiana," MSU head coach Kim Bruno said.
Purdue jumped out to an early 1-0 lead by winning two of three doubles matches. At the No. 1 spot, Ena Bacic and Csilla Fodor defeated junior Lauren Lemonds and freshman Ayshe Can, 6-3, which was the first loss for this combination this season. Zala Dovnik and Nathalia Wolf Gasparin stopped junior Maja Pietrowic and senior Mary Lewis, 6-3 at the No. 2 position. The Spartans only doubles win came when graduate student Samantha Memije and junior Nicole Stephens dominated Rut Galindo and Seira Shimizu by a score of 6-2.
Singles was a tight battle with three matches going three sets. Pietrowicz tied the score at 1-1 with a straight set win over Seira Shimizu, 6-2, 6-2. Pietrowicz is undefeated in dual match play with a 4-0 record. The Boilermakers took a 3-1 lead with wins and No. 1 and No. 2 singles.
From there, the bottom half of the Spartan lineup took over to rally for the win. At the No. 5 spot, Can continued her fast start to the season with a come-from-behind win over Galindo, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The freshman is 4-0 to begin her MSU career. Lemonds tied the match at 3-3 with a three-set win over Dovnik, 5-7, 6-1, 7-5. Stephens took if from there with a 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3 win over Zeynep Naz Ozturk to give the Spartans the win.
Michigan State remains on the road to take Indiana on Feb. 21 at 11 a.m.
PURDUE – 3, MICHIGAN STATE – 4
SINGLES
1. Ena Babic (PUR) def. Mary Lewis (MSU) – 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
2. Csilla Fodor (PUR) def. Samantha Memije (MSU) – 6-2, 6-3
3. Maja Pietrowicz (MSU) def. Seira Shimizu (PUR) – 6-2, 6-2
4. Lauren Lemonds (MSU) def. Zala Dovnik (PUR) – 5-7, 6-1, 7-5
5. Ayshe Can (MSU) def. Rut Galindo (PUR) – 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Nicole Stephens (MSU) def. Zeynep Naz Ozturk (PUR) – 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3
DOUBLES
1. Ena Bacic/Csilla Fodor (PUR) def. Lauren Lemonds/Ayshe Can (MSU) – 6-3
2. Zala Dovnik/Nathalia Wolf Gasparin (PUR) def. Maja Pietrowicz/Mary Lewis – 6-3
3. Samantha Memije/Nicole Stephens (MSU) def. Rut Galindo/Seira Shimizu – 6-2
Order of Finish
Singles: 3,2,1,5,4,6
Doubles: 3,2,1
This is the first time since the 2014-15 season that Michigan State has started Big Ten play 3-0. That season, the Spartans started the season 5-0 in league action. Overall, Michigan State stands 3-1 this year.
"I am so impressed with our Spartan women. They fought so hard for each other and wow did that pay off. We are getting better each match we play, so we will enjoy today and be ready for another battle tomorrow against Indiana," MSU head coach Kim Bruno said.
Purdue jumped out to an early 1-0 lead by winning two of three doubles matches. At the No. 1 spot, Ena Bacic and Csilla Fodor defeated junior Lauren Lemonds and freshman Ayshe Can, 6-3, which was the first loss for this combination this season. Zala Dovnik and Nathalia Wolf Gasparin stopped junior Maja Pietrowic and senior Mary Lewis, 6-3 at the No. 2 position. The Spartans only doubles win came when graduate student Samantha Memije and junior Nicole Stephens dominated Rut Galindo and Seira Shimizu by a score of 6-2.
Singles was a tight battle with three matches going three sets. Pietrowicz tied the score at 1-1 with a straight set win over Seira Shimizu, 6-2, 6-2. Pietrowicz is undefeated in dual match play with a 4-0 record. The Boilermakers took a 3-1 lead with wins and No. 1 and No. 2 singles.
From there, the bottom half of the Spartan lineup took over to rally for the win. At the No. 5 spot, Can continued her fast start to the season with a come-from-behind win over Galindo, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The freshman is 4-0 to begin her MSU career. Lemonds tied the match at 3-3 with a three-set win over Dovnik, 5-7, 6-1, 7-5. Stephens took if from there with a 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3 win over Zeynep Naz Ozturk to give the Spartans the win.
Michigan State remains on the road to take Indiana on Feb. 21 at 11 a.m.
PURDUE – 3, MICHIGAN STATE – 4
SINGLES
1. Ena Babic (PUR) def. Mary Lewis (MSU) – 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
2. Csilla Fodor (PUR) def. Samantha Memije (MSU) – 6-2, 6-3
3. Maja Pietrowicz (MSU) def. Seira Shimizu (PUR) – 6-2, 6-2
4. Lauren Lemonds (MSU) def. Zala Dovnik (PUR) – 5-7, 6-1, 7-5
5. Ayshe Can (MSU) def. Rut Galindo (PUR) – 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Nicole Stephens (MSU) def. Zeynep Naz Ozturk (PUR) – 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3
DOUBLES
1. Ena Bacic/Csilla Fodor (PUR) def. Lauren Lemonds/Ayshe Can (MSU) – 6-3
2. Zala Dovnik/Nathalia Wolf Gasparin (PUR) def. Maja Pietrowicz/Mary Lewis – 6-3
3. Samantha Memije/Nicole Stephens (MSU) def. Rut Galindo/Seira Shimizu – 6-2
Order of Finish
Singles: 3,2,1,5,4,6
Doubles: 3,2,1
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2,1
#1 Singles Match
123
632
Ena Babic / 0 [PURDUE]
466
#2 Singles Match
12
23
Csilla Fodor / 0 [PURDUE]
66
#3 Singles Match
12
66
Seira Shimizu / 0 [PURDUE]
22
#4 Singles Match
123
567
Zala Dovnik / 0 [PURDUE]
715
#5 Singles Match
123
366
Rut Galindo / 0 [PURDUE]
632
#6 Singles Match
123
736
Zeynep Naz Ozturk / 0 [PURDUE]
663
Order of Finish:
1,3,2,5,4,6
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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