Sunday, January 15
Toledo, Ohio
1 PM
Michigan State University
at
Toledo
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell
Spartans Open 2023 Season with Sunday Matinee at Toledo
1/14/2023 2:20:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Michigan State Opens 51st Dual Match Season
TOLEDO, Ohio – Michigan State women's tennis ushers in its 51st dual match season on Sunday, as the Green & White head to the Glass City to face off against the Toledo Rockets in a 1 p.m. first serve from the Twos Athletic Club.
HEAD COACH KIM BRUNO SAID…
"You can feel the tension and energy around our team, and our players are really excited to start the season. There are a lot of unknowns out there, a lot of stuff still yet to be proven, a lot of newcomers and new faces. But, I really feel good about this group of girls, they've been working hard, they've been sticking to day to day routines and processes. And I think we're just going to go out there and put on a show against Toledo, you know. If they do what I know that they are capable of, we can come back to East Lansing with some solid experience and success."
FIRST SERVE
Michigan State returns to action in dual competition for the first time since recording nine wins a year ago bolstered by a 5-2 Big Ten victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on March 13 at home in East Lansing. The 2022 Spartans earned national recognition in the postseason from the ITA, with former Spartan Mary Lewis taking home both the Midwest Regional and ITA National Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship.
MSU welcomed seven newcomers to the 2023 roster earlier this year, highlighted by true freshmen Sarah Fazlagic, Marley Lambert, Makenna Martinez, Juliette Nask and Issey Purser. Michigan State's 2022 recruits received votes as one of the nation's best signing classes according to Tennis Recruiting Network. Additionally, the Green & White welcomed Dartmouth transfer Nicole Conard, as well as North Texas transfer Liisa Vehvilainen.
FALL BALLIN'
MSU took the courts on five occasions during the fall tournament slate, including two events at home on the Michigan State campus. Senior Tia Mukherjee went an unblemished 5-0 in fall singles action, garnering the No. 117 ranking in the nation according to the ITA as she enters her final dual season in East Lansing. Michigan State compiled a 49-43 fall record in singles matches, with all 13 players seeing at least four matches apiece. In doubles, the tandem of Ayshe Can and Liisa Vehvilainen published a quartet of victories during the fall tournament slate, highlighted by a nationally-ranked win over No. 58 Clarissa Hand and Maria Shusharina of Northwestern during the ITA Midwest Regional Championships. The Spartans went a combined 25-20 in fall doubles matches.
RACING THE ROCKETS
Under the guidance of 20-year head coaching veteran Tracy Mauntler, the Rockets return to the courts for dual match play for the first time since logging a runner-up finish in the 2022 Mid-American Conference Championships. Toledo published a program-best 18-7 overall record coupled with a 7-3 ledger in MAC play. The Rockets return the 2022 MAC Player of the Year, Cassie Alcala, as well as Second-Team All-MAC selection Sloane Teske. In fall tournament action, Toledo recorded a 47-12 combined record across all singles and doubles competition at three tournaments. Sanjana Tallamraju and Alcala set a program record for the best doubles showing at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships this year, reaching the tournament's Round of 32.
FOLLOW THE SPARTANS
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WTennis.
HEAD COACH KIM BRUNO SAID…
"You can feel the tension and energy around our team, and our players are really excited to start the season. There are a lot of unknowns out there, a lot of stuff still yet to be proven, a lot of newcomers and new faces. But, I really feel good about this group of girls, they've been working hard, they've been sticking to day to day routines and processes. And I think we're just going to go out there and put on a show against Toledo, you know. If they do what I know that they are capable of, we can come back to East Lansing with some solid experience and success."
FIRST SERVE
Michigan State returns to action in dual competition for the first time since recording nine wins a year ago bolstered by a 5-2 Big Ten victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on March 13 at home in East Lansing. The 2022 Spartans earned national recognition in the postseason from the ITA, with former Spartan Mary Lewis taking home both the Midwest Regional and ITA National Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship.
MSU welcomed seven newcomers to the 2023 roster earlier this year, highlighted by true freshmen Sarah Fazlagic, Marley Lambert, Makenna Martinez, Juliette Nask and Issey Purser. Michigan State's 2022 recruits received votes as one of the nation's best signing classes according to Tennis Recruiting Network. Additionally, the Green & White welcomed Dartmouth transfer Nicole Conard, as well as North Texas transfer Liisa Vehvilainen.
FALL BALLIN'
MSU took the courts on five occasions during the fall tournament slate, including two events at home on the Michigan State campus. Senior Tia Mukherjee went an unblemished 5-0 in fall singles action, garnering the No. 117 ranking in the nation according to the ITA as she enters her final dual season in East Lansing. Michigan State compiled a 49-43 fall record in singles matches, with all 13 players seeing at least four matches apiece. In doubles, the tandem of Ayshe Can and Liisa Vehvilainen published a quartet of victories during the fall tournament slate, highlighted by a nationally-ranked win over No. 58 Clarissa Hand and Maria Shusharina of Northwestern during the ITA Midwest Regional Championships. The Spartans went a combined 25-20 in fall doubles matches.
RACING THE ROCKETS
Under the guidance of 20-year head coaching veteran Tracy Mauntler, the Rockets return to the courts for dual match play for the first time since logging a runner-up finish in the 2022 Mid-American Conference Championships. Toledo published a program-best 18-7 overall record coupled with a 7-3 ledger in MAC play. The Rockets return the 2022 MAC Player of the Year, Cassie Alcala, as well as Second-Team All-MAC selection Sloane Teske. In fall tournament action, Toledo recorded a 47-12 combined record across all singles and doubles competition at three tournaments. Sanjana Tallamraju and Alcala set a program record for the best doubles showing at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships this year, reaching the tournament's Round of 32.
FOLLOW THE SPARTANS
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WTennis.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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