
Women’s Tennis Defeats Virginia Tech to Sweep Weekend
2/6/2022 8:15:00 PM | Women's Tennis
CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Michigan State women's tennis team used four-straight singles victories to overcome losing the doubles point in a 4-1 win over Virginia Tech on Sunday afternoon at the Eastern Hills Indoor Tennis Club.
MSU's wins in back-to-back days improves its record to 3-1 overall, while Virginia Tech moved to 1-1 on the season.
Freshman Charlotte Gisclon and junior Dagmar Zdrubecka started doubles play for the Spartans on Court No. 3 by winning a 6-0 match over the Hokies' Semra Aksu and Dariya Radulova, but Virginia Tech responded by taking the other two matches. The top Hokie duo of Katie Andreini and Annie Clark were able to claim a 6-3 victory against graduate student Mary Lewis and senior Maja Pietrowicz, while Erika Cheng and Rita Pinto beat senior Nicole Stephens and sophomore Ayshe Can by a 6-4 score in second doubles match.
Singles action opened with Pietrowicz scoring a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Pinto in the No. 2 spot, and Can quickly followed with a 6-4, 6-3 win against Cheng on the fourth court to give MSU a 2-1 lead. Gisclon made it 3-1 Spartans when she defeated Aksu on the No. 6 court (6-1, 6-4), and senior Lauren Lemonds clinched the match for the Green and White when she completed a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Andreini in the No. 5 spot. With the win secured, Lewis' matchup with Tamara Barad Itzhaki and Stephens' battle against Radulova both went unfinished.
"Today was fun," said head coach Kim Bruno. "It was a fun win and it is hard to win on the road. Virginia Tech is a good team in the ACC and we were down, our backs were against the wall again with losing that doubles point, and the girls just stepped up. Maja led the charge with a quick victory today and then Lauren clinched it later on. Lauren's been struggling a little bit lately, but she stepped up big today. Once again, it was another great team effort and this is what it takes to win matches against tough competition like this. We just have to keep doing what we've been doing, clean up a couple areas here and there in our doubles and singles play, and keep the momentum going our way. We're feeling good now."
Sunday marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs, as the Spartans now hold a 1-0 record over the Hokies. Individually, the singles victory by Can was her sixth-straight win, moving her to 4-0 in dual matches.
Michigan State now heads home for a Feb. 9 meeting with Arizona. Wednesday's match is set for 4 p.m. from the MSU Indoor Tennis Center.
Doubles
1 – Katie Andreini/Annie Clark (VT) def. Mary Lewis/Maja Pietrowicz (MSU), 6-3
2 – Rita Pinto/Erika Cheng (VT) def. Nicole Stephens/Ayshe Can (MSU), 6-4
3 – Dagmar Zdruckecka/Charlotte Gisclon (MSU) def. Dariya Radulova/Semra Aksu (VT), 6-0
Singles
1 – Tamara Barad Itzhaki (VT) vs. Mary Lewis (MSU), 2-6, 6-3, 4-3 (unfinished)
2 – Maja Pietrowicz (MSU) def. Rita Pinto (VT), 6-1, 6-4
3 – Dariya Radulova (VT) vs. Nicole Stephens (MSU), 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (unfinished)
4 – Ayshe Can (MSU) def. Erika Cheng (VT), 6-4, 6-3
5 – Lauren Lemonds (MSU) def. Katie Andreini (VT), 6-4, 6-3
6 – Charlotte Gisclon (MSU) def. Semra Aksu (VT), 6-1, 6-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-1-2; Singles 2-4-6-5
MSU's wins in back-to-back days improves its record to 3-1 overall, while Virginia Tech moved to 1-1 on the season.
Freshman Charlotte Gisclon and junior Dagmar Zdrubecka started doubles play for the Spartans on Court No. 3 by winning a 6-0 match over the Hokies' Semra Aksu and Dariya Radulova, but Virginia Tech responded by taking the other two matches. The top Hokie duo of Katie Andreini and Annie Clark were able to claim a 6-3 victory against graduate student Mary Lewis and senior Maja Pietrowicz, while Erika Cheng and Rita Pinto beat senior Nicole Stephens and sophomore Ayshe Can by a 6-4 score in second doubles match.
Singles action opened with Pietrowicz scoring a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Pinto in the No. 2 spot, and Can quickly followed with a 6-4, 6-3 win against Cheng on the fourth court to give MSU a 2-1 lead. Gisclon made it 3-1 Spartans when she defeated Aksu on the No. 6 court (6-1, 6-4), and senior Lauren Lemonds clinched the match for the Green and White when she completed a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Andreini in the No. 5 spot. With the win secured, Lewis' matchup with Tamara Barad Itzhaki and Stephens' battle against Radulova both went unfinished.
"Today was fun," said head coach Kim Bruno. "It was a fun win and it is hard to win on the road. Virginia Tech is a good team in the ACC and we were down, our backs were against the wall again with losing that doubles point, and the girls just stepped up. Maja led the charge with a quick victory today and then Lauren clinched it later on. Lauren's been struggling a little bit lately, but she stepped up big today. Once again, it was another great team effort and this is what it takes to win matches against tough competition like this. We just have to keep doing what we've been doing, clean up a couple areas here and there in our doubles and singles play, and keep the momentum going our way. We're feeling good now."
Sunday marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs, as the Spartans now hold a 1-0 record over the Hokies. Individually, the singles victory by Can was her sixth-straight win, moving her to 4-0 in dual matches.
Michigan State now heads home for a Feb. 9 meeting with Arizona. Wednesday's match is set for 4 p.m. from the MSU Indoor Tennis Center.
Doubles
1 – Katie Andreini/Annie Clark (VT) def. Mary Lewis/Maja Pietrowicz (MSU), 6-3
2 – Rita Pinto/Erika Cheng (VT) def. Nicole Stephens/Ayshe Can (MSU), 6-4
3 – Dagmar Zdruckecka/Charlotte Gisclon (MSU) def. Dariya Radulova/Semra Aksu (VT), 6-0
Singles
1 – Tamara Barad Itzhaki (VT) vs. Mary Lewis (MSU), 2-6, 6-3, 4-3 (unfinished)
2 – Maja Pietrowicz (MSU) def. Rita Pinto (VT), 6-1, 6-4
3 – Dariya Radulova (VT) vs. Nicole Stephens (MSU), 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (unfinished)
4 – Ayshe Can (MSU) def. Erika Cheng (VT), 6-4, 6-3
5 – Lauren Lemonds (MSU) def. Katie Andreini (VT), 6-4, 6-3
6 – Charlotte Gisclon (MSU) def. Semra Aksu (VT), 6-1, 6-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-1-2; Singles 2-4-6-5
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1,2
Order of Finish:
2,4,6,5
Players Mentioned
Liisa Vehviläinen | The Way of Sisu | Spartans All-Access
Thursday, February 20
Kim Bruno | Women's Tennis Press Conference | Feb. 17 2025
Monday, February 17
Kim Bruno | Women's Tennis Press Conference | Jan. 28 2025
Tuesday, January 28
Spartans All-Access: Marlo Schiffman
Wednesday, April 03