Saturday, March 25
East Lansing, Mich.
11 AM
Michigan State University
4
vs
0
Minnesota
Photo by: Kelly Branigan
Can Propels Spartans Sweep of Minnesota
3/25/2023 2:28:00 PM | Women's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State women's tennis secured its first Big Ten win, sweeping the visiting Minnesota Golden Gophers 4-0 at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center on Saturday. With the win, MSU moves to 8-7 (1-3 B1G) overall while the Golden Gophers slide to 5-10 (0-4 B1G) on the season.
"It feels really, really good," said head coach Kim Bruno. "We are going to savor this one and hopefully continue the feeling heading into tomorrow."
The Spartans started strong by taking the doubles point for the third-consecutive match in a highly contested opening to the dual. Due to a limited number of players on the Gophers roster, only two doubles matches were played, meaning the first pairing to win would take the doubles point for their team. Down 5-3, the duo of Marley Lambert and Dagmar Zdrubecka held Minnesota's Lucy Lu and Zeyneb Sarioglan at bay as the Spartan pairing of Liisa Vehvilainen and Ayshe Can picked up an emphatic 6-2 win at the No. 1 position to steal the doubles point.
"When those two are getting forward and hitting volleys, I think they are one of the best doubles teams in the country," said Bruno. "They made adjustments and stuck with the plan and that allowed us to clinch that point."
MSU started the singles portion with a 2-0 lead after Minnesota forfeited a point due to insufficient players. The Spartans would then utilize impressive performances at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions to earn the clinch.
With Minnesota jumping out to first set leads at three courts, Spartans Can and Lambert were able to put the Green and White in a position to win the dual by taking the lead in their respective matches. Lambert picked up a straight set win in dominant fashion, dispatching Minnesota's Sarioglan 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3 singles for her sixth singles win of the season.
In a highly contested first set at No. 2 singles, Can would fend off Minnesota's Anet Koskel 6-4 before running away with the match, winning the second set without dropping a game for a 6-0 result. Can's fourth singles victory of the season put the finishing touch on the day as the Spartans would clinch the match, 4-0.
"For Ayshe to just come out and win that second set was huge for us," said Bruno. "We needed those two points with Marley and Ayshe because we were down first sets everywhere else and that could have been a totally different match."
In No. 1 and No. 4 singles, Vehvilainen and Nicole Conard were locked in ties in the second set with Minnesota's Zoey Weil and Aiva Schmitz, respectively, with both matches left unfinished. At No. 5 singles, freshman Juliette Nask was locked in a close battle in the second set of her match until play was stopped.
Up next, the Spartans conclude their three-game homestand with a dual against #17 Wisconsin on Sunday, March 26 for Girl Scout Day at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center. First serve is slated for 11 a.m.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. Ayshe Can/Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) def. Zoey Weil/Anet Koskel (MINN) 6-2
2. Marley Lambert/Dagmar Zdrubecka (MSU) vs. Lucy Lu/Zeyneb Sarioglan (MINN) 3-5, unfinished
3. No player/No player (MSU) def. No player/No player (MINN), by forfeit
SINGLES
1. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) vs. Zoey Weil (MINN) 3-6, 3-3, unfinished
2. Ayshe Can (MSU) def. Anet Koskel (MINN) 6-4, 6-0
3. Marley Lambert (MSU) def. Zeyneb Sarioglan (MINN) 6-0, 6-1
4. Nicole Conard (MSU) vs. Aiva Schmitz (MINN) 3-6, 4-4, unfinished
5. Juliette Nask (MSU) vs. Lucy Lu (MINN) 1-6, 3-4, unfinished
6. No player (MSU) def. No player (MINN), by forfeit
"It feels really, really good," said head coach Kim Bruno. "We are going to savor this one and hopefully continue the feeling heading into tomorrow."
The Spartans started strong by taking the doubles point for the third-consecutive match in a highly contested opening to the dual. Due to a limited number of players on the Gophers roster, only two doubles matches were played, meaning the first pairing to win would take the doubles point for their team. Down 5-3, the duo of Marley Lambert and Dagmar Zdrubecka held Minnesota's Lucy Lu and Zeyneb Sarioglan at bay as the Spartan pairing of Liisa Vehvilainen and Ayshe Can picked up an emphatic 6-2 win at the No. 1 position to steal the doubles point.
"When those two are getting forward and hitting volleys, I think they are one of the best doubles teams in the country," said Bruno. "They made adjustments and stuck with the plan and that allowed us to clinch that point."
MSU started the singles portion with a 2-0 lead after Minnesota forfeited a point due to insufficient players. The Spartans would then utilize impressive performances at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions to earn the clinch.
With Minnesota jumping out to first set leads at three courts, Spartans Can and Lambert were able to put the Green and White in a position to win the dual by taking the lead in their respective matches. Lambert picked up a straight set win in dominant fashion, dispatching Minnesota's Sarioglan 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3 singles for her sixth singles win of the season.
In a highly contested first set at No. 2 singles, Can would fend off Minnesota's Anet Koskel 6-4 before running away with the match, winning the second set without dropping a game for a 6-0 result. Can's fourth singles victory of the season put the finishing touch on the day as the Spartans would clinch the match, 4-0.
"For Ayshe to just come out and win that second set was huge for us," said Bruno. "We needed those two points with Marley and Ayshe because we were down first sets everywhere else and that could have been a totally different match."
In No. 1 and No. 4 singles, Vehvilainen and Nicole Conard were locked in ties in the second set with Minnesota's Zoey Weil and Aiva Schmitz, respectively, with both matches left unfinished. At No. 5 singles, freshman Juliette Nask was locked in a close battle in the second set of her match until play was stopped.
Up next, the Spartans conclude their three-game homestand with a dual against #17 Wisconsin on Sunday, March 26 for Girl Scout Day at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center. First serve is slated for 11 a.m.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. Ayshe Can/Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) def. Zoey Weil/Anet Koskel (MINN) 6-2
2. Marley Lambert/Dagmar Zdrubecka (MSU) vs. Lucy Lu/Zeyneb Sarioglan (MINN) 3-5, unfinished
3. No player/No player (MSU) def. No player/No player (MINN), by forfeit
SINGLES
1. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) vs. Zoey Weil (MINN) 3-6, 3-3, unfinished
2. Ayshe Can (MSU) def. Anet Koskel (MINN) 6-4, 6-0
3. Marley Lambert (MSU) def. Zeyneb Sarioglan (MINN) 6-0, 6-1
4. Nicole Conard (MSU) vs. Aiva Schmitz (MINN) 3-6, 4-4, unfinished
5. Juliette Nask (MSU) vs. Lucy Lu (MINN) 1-6, 3-4, unfinished
6. No player (MSU) def. No player (MINN), by forfeit
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
1
No player [MINN]
0
WF
Order of Finish:
1,3
#1 Singles Match
123
Zoey Weil / 0 [MINN]
630
33UF
#2 Singles Match
12
Anet Koskel / 0 [MINN]
40
66
#3 Singles Match
12
Zeyneb Sarioglan / 0 [MINN]
01
66
#4 Singles Match
123
Aiva Schmitz / 0 [MINN]
640
34UF
#5 Singles Match
123
Lucy Lu / 0 [MINN]
640
13UF
#6 Singles Match
1
No player / 0 [MINN]
0
WF
Order of Finish:
6,3,2
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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