Sunday, April 2
Evanston, Ill.
1 PM
Michigan State University
1
at
4
Northwestern
Spartans Drop Contest to Northwestern
4/2/2023 3:47:00 PM | Women's Tennis
EVANSTON, Ill. — Michigan State women's tennis fought hard against Northwestern, stealing a point before falling to the Wildcats 4-1 at the Combe Tennis Center on Sunday. With the loss, the Spartans move to 8-10 (1-6 Big Ten) while Northwestern improves to 6-11 (2-3 Big Ten).
The Spartans battled in the doubles portion but could not corral the Wildcats, dropping the doubles point to start the dual. Northwestern took an early advantage at No. 2 doubles with the pairing of Briana Crowley and Maria Shusharina dispatching MSU's Issey Purser and Nicole Conard, 6-2. The Wildcats would take the doubles point with a win at No. 1 doubles as Spartans Marley Lambert and Dagmar Zdrubecka fell to NU's No. 42 duo of Justine Leong and Christina Hand, 6-2. MSU was in a close match at No. 3 doubles with Liisa Vehvilainen and Tia Mukherjee down 5-3 to NU's Sydney Pratt and Aino Alkio.
MSU continued to battle in singles with a reconfigured lineup with junior Ayshe Can out of the lineup. In a daunting task as No. 4 singles, MSU's Conard hung with NU's No. 109 Hand before falling 6-1, 6-1, giving NU a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats pushed themselves to within a point of victory at No. 6 singles as Pratt dispatched Spartan Charlotte Gisclon in her third appearance for the Green and White this season.
The Spartans would claim at least a point with a dominant display at No. 5 singles from freshman Juliette Nask whose impressive second set performance aided in a 6-4, 6-1 win over NU's Alkio. The Wildcats would get the upper hand, clinching the match at No. 2 singles as MSU's Lambert instigate the comeback, falling 5-7, 2-6 to NU's Shusharina.
In a drawn-out match at No. 1 singles, MSU's Vehvilainen was leading in the second set in a match that went unfinished, while at No. 3 singles, MSU's Purser was engaged in a third-set battle with NU's Crowley with the Spartan leading 6-4, 1-6, 3-2 before play was stopped.
UP NEXT
The Spartans continue their season-long road stretch next weekend with a pair of matches in Indiana. The Spartans will head to Bloomington, Indiana for a match against the Hoosiers on Saturday, April 8 before concluding the weekend in West Lafayette, Indiana to take on Purdue on Sunday, April 9. First serve against Indiana is slated for 11 a.m., while play is scheduled to start at noon against Purdue.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. #42 Justine Leong/Christina Hand (NUW) def. Marley Lambert/Dagmar Zdrubecka (MSU) 6-2
2. Briana Crowley/Maria Shusharina (NUW) def. Issey Purser/Nicole Conard (MSU) 6-2
3. Sydney Pratt/Aino Alkio (NUW) vs. Liisa Vehvilainen/Tia Mukherjee (MSU) 5-3, unfinished
SINGLES
1. Justine Leong (NUW) vs. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) 6-3, 3-4, unfinished
2. Maria Shusharina (NUW) def. Marley Lambert (MSU) 7-5, 6-2
3. Briana Crowley (NUW) vs. Issey Purser (MSU) 4-6, 6-1, 2-3, unfinished
4. #109 Christina Hand (NUW) def. Nicole Conard (MSU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Juliette Nask (MSU) def. Aino Alkio (NUW) 6-4, 6-1
6. Sydney Pratt (NUW) def. Charlotte Gisclon (MSU) 6-3, 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (4,6,5,2)
The Spartans battled in the doubles portion but could not corral the Wildcats, dropping the doubles point to start the dual. Northwestern took an early advantage at No. 2 doubles with the pairing of Briana Crowley and Maria Shusharina dispatching MSU's Issey Purser and Nicole Conard, 6-2. The Wildcats would take the doubles point with a win at No. 1 doubles as Spartans Marley Lambert and Dagmar Zdrubecka fell to NU's No. 42 duo of Justine Leong and Christina Hand, 6-2. MSU was in a close match at No. 3 doubles with Liisa Vehvilainen and Tia Mukherjee down 5-3 to NU's Sydney Pratt and Aino Alkio.
MSU continued to battle in singles with a reconfigured lineup with junior Ayshe Can out of the lineup. In a daunting task as No. 4 singles, MSU's Conard hung with NU's No. 109 Hand before falling 6-1, 6-1, giving NU a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats pushed themselves to within a point of victory at No. 6 singles as Pratt dispatched Spartan Charlotte Gisclon in her third appearance for the Green and White this season.
The Spartans would claim at least a point with a dominant display at No. 5 singles from freshman Juliette Nask whose impressive second set performance aided in a 6-4, 6-1 win over NU's Alkio. The Wildcats would get the upper hand, clinching the match at No. 2 singles as MSU's Lambert instigate the comeback, falling 5-7, 2-6 to NU's Shusharina.
In a drawn-out match at No. 1 singles, MSU's Vehvilainen was leading in the second set in a match that went unfinished, while at No. 3 singles, MSU's Purser was engaged in a third-set battle with NU's Crowley with the Spartan leading 6-4, 1-6, 3-2 before play was stopped.
UP NEXT
The Spartans continue their season-long road stretch next weekend with a pair of matches in Indiana. The Spartans will head to Bloomington, Indiana for a match against the Hoosiers on Saturday, April 8 before concluding the weekend in West Lafayette, Indiana to take on Purdue on Sunday, April 9. First serve against Indiana is slated for 11 a.m., while play is scheduled to start at noon against Purdue.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. #42 Justine Leong/Christina Hand (NUW) def. Marley Lambert/Dagmar Zdrubecka (MSU) 6-2
2. Briana Crowley/Maria Shusharina (NUW) def. Issey Purser/Nicole Conard (MSU) 6-2
3. Sydney Pratt/Aino Alkio (NUW) vs. Liisa Vehvilainen/Tia Mukherjee (MSU) 5-3, unfinished
SINGLES
1. Justine Leong (NUW) vs. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) 6-3, 3-4, unfinished
2. Maria Shusharina (NUW) def. Marley Lambert (MSU) 7-5, 6-2
3. Briana Crowley (NUW) vs. Issey Purser (MSU) 4-6, 6-1, 2-3, unfinished
4. #109 Christina Hand (NUW) def. Nicole Conard (MSU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Juliette Nask (MSU) def. Aino Alkio (NUW) 6-4, 6-1
6. Sydney Pratt (NUW) def. Charlotte Gisclon (MSU) 6-3, 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (4,6,5,2)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1
#1 Singles Match
123
340
Justine Leong / 0 [NUW]
63UF
#2 Singles Match
12
52
Maria Shusharina / 0 [NUW]
76
#3 Singles Match
1234
6130
Briana Crowley / 0 [NUW]
462UF
#4 Singles Match
12
11
Christina Hand / 0 (109/-) [NUW]
66
#5 Singles Match
12
66
Aino Alkio / 0 [NUW]
41
#6 Singles Match
12
33
Sydney Pratt / 0 [NUW]
66
Order of Finish:
4,6,5,2
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
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