Saturday, January 22
South Bend, Ind.
11 a.m. ET
Michigan State University
1
at
6
Notre Dame
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Women’s Tennis Drops Spring Opener to Fighting Irish
1/22/2022 3:18:00 PM | Women's Tennis
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Michigan State women's tennis team opened its spring season on Saturday morning, as the Spartans were defeated, 6-1, by Notre Dame inside the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
MSU moved to 0-1 in dual matches this season, while the Fighting Irish improved to 1-1 on the campaign.
The contest opened with doubles action, as court two saw the duo of sophomore Ayshe Can and senior Nicole Stephens battle back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the match at 4-4 and then tie it again at 5-5 against Page Freeman and Yashna Yellayi, but the Fighting Irish pair claimed the last two games to win 7-5. Carrie Backman and Nibedita Ghosh took the third doubles match by a 6-2 score over senior Lauren Lemonds and freshman Charlotte Gisclon, giving Notre Dame the doubles point and ending the matchup of the No. 1 pairings early. In that unfinished battle, where Julia Andreach and Meghan Coleman held a 5-4 lead against graduate student Mary Lewis and senior Maja Pietrowicz before the match was abandoned.
In the singles matches, Andreach opened with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Lewis on the No. 1 court, to take a 2-0 advantage. Can gave the Spartans a win in the No. 4 matchup by defeating Meghan Coleman in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. Notre Dame went up 3-1 in the team score when Ghosh finished off Lemonds at No. 5 singles with identical 6-2, 6-2 set scores. The No. 6 spot secured the team win for the Fighting Irish, as Maria Olivia Castedo took straight-sets from Gisclon, 6-4, 6-1.
Despite the match in hand for UND, both Pietrowicz and Stephens battled to the end in their matches, but neither came away victorious. Freeman edged Pietrowicz in a close second set, 7-5, after also winning the first set, 6-2, on the No. 2 court. For Stephens, she forced a third set against Yellayi, but the Spartan could not grab victory at the No. 3 spot in the third set, as Yellayi picked up a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win.
"Obviously, we're not happy with the result, we went in there hoping we could come back with the win, but the girls competed well," said head coach Kim Bruno. "The Fighting Irish just played a little cleaner than us and they were a little better at shot-making at times. It was really the difference, but I think if we clean a couple areas up and compete the same way we did, we can take something from today and build on it this week to be ready for DePaul. That's the goal."
Can's victory in singles competition brings her career dual record to 9-9, and it gave the sophomore her first career win in the No. 4 spot (1-2).
Michigan State returns to East Lansing for its home opener next Sunday, Jan. 30, hosting DePaul in a non-conference dual match at 11 a.m.
Singles
No. 1 – Julia Andreach (ND) def. Mary Lewis (MSU), 6-1, 6-4
No. 2 – Page Freeman (ND) def. Maja Pietrowicz (MSU), 6-2, 7-5
No. 3 – Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. Nicole Stephens (MSU), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
No. 4 – Ayshe Can (MSU) def. Meghan Coleman (ND), 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 – Nibedita Ghosh (ND) def. Lauren Lemonds (MSU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 – Maria Olivia Castedo (ND) def. Charlotte Gisclon (MSU), 6-4, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 – Meghan Coleman/Julia Andreach (ND) vs. Mary Lewis/Maja Pietrowicz (MSU), 5-4, unfinished
No. 2 – Page Freeman/Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. Nicole Stephens/Ayshe Can (MSU), 7-5
No. 3 – Carrie Beckman/Nibedita Ghosh (ND) def. Lauren Lemonds/Charlotte Gisclon (MSU), 6-2
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2-1, Singles 1-4-5-6-2-3
MSU moved to 0-1 in dual matches this season, while the Fighting Irish improved to 1-1 on the campaign.
The contest opened with doubles action, as court two saw the duo of sophomore Ayshe Can and senior Nicole Stephens battle back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the match at 4-4 and then tie it again at 5-5 against Page Freeman and Yashna Yellayi, but the Fighting Irish pair claimed the last two games to win 7-5. Carrie Backman and Nibedita Ghosh took the third doubles match by a 6-2 score over senior Lauren Lemonds and freshman Charlotte Gisclon, giving Notre Dame the doubles point and ending the matchup of the No. 1 pairings early. In that unfinished battle, where Julia Andreach and Meghan Coleman held a 5-4 lead against graduate student Mary Lewis and senior Maja Pietrowicz before the match was abandoned.
In the singles matches, Andreach opened with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Lewis on the No. 1 court, to take a 2-0 advantage. Can gave the Spartans a win in the No. 4 matchup by defeating Meghan Coleman in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. Notre Dame went up 3-1 in the team score when Ghosh finished off Lemonds at No. 5 singles with identical 6-2, 6-2 set scores. The No. 6 spot secured the team win for the Fighting Irish, as Maria Olivia Castedo took straight-sets from Gisclon, 6-4, 6-1.
Despite the match in hand for UND, both Pietrowicz and Stephens battled to the end in their matches, but neither came away victorious. Freeman edged Pietrowicz in a close second set, 7-5, after also winning the first set, 6-2, on the No. 2 court. For Stephens, she forced a third set against Yellayi, but the Spartan could not grab victory at the No. 3 spot in the third set, as Yellayi picked up a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win.
"Obviously, we're not happy with the result, we went in there hoping we could come back with the win, but the girls competed well," said head coach Kim Bruno. "The Fighting Irish just played a little cleaner than us and they were a little better at shot-making at times. It was really the difference, but I think if we clean a couple areas up and compete the same way we did, we can take something from today and build on it this week to be ready for DePaul. That's the goal."
Can's victory in singles competition brings her career dual record to 9-9, and it gave the sophomore her first career win in the No. 4 spot (1-2).
Michigan State returns to East Lansing for its home opener next Sunday, Jan. 30, hosting DePaul in a non-conference dual match at 11 a.m.
Singles
No. 1 – Julia Andreach (ND) def. Mary Lewis (MSU), 6-1, 6-4
No. 2 – Page Freeman (ND) def. Maja Pietrowicz (MSU), 6-2, 7-5
No. 3 – Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. Nicole Stephens (MSU), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
No. 4 – Ayshe Can (MSU) def. Meghan Coleman (ND), 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 – Nibedita Ghosh (ND) def. Lauren Lemonds (MSU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 – Maria Olivia Castedo (ND) def. Charlotte Gisclon (MSU), 6-4, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 – Meghan Coleman/Julia Andreach (ND) vs. Mary Lewis/Maja Pietrowicz (MSU), 5-4, unfinished
No. 2 – Page Freeman/Yashna Yellayi (ND) def. Nicole Stephens/Ayshe Can (MSU), 7-5
No. 3 – Carrie Beckman/Nibedita Ghosh (ND) def. Lauren Lemonds/Charlotte Gisclon (MSU), 6-2
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2-1, Singles 1-4-5-6-2-3
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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