Michigan State University
Xavier
Spartan Women’s Tennis Nabs Friday Night Victory For MSU In Home Opener
1/24/2025 9:06:00 PM | Women's Tennis
MSU starts home slate with 4-3 win.
The Green & White picked up their first win of the season, moving to 1-2, while Xavier, the four-time defending Big East champions, slide to 0-2. MSU also improves to 8-1 in the all-time series with XU.
PUT IT IN THE BOOKS 📚
— Michigan State Women's Tennis (@MSU_WTennis) January 25, 2025
Our home opener was a SPARTAN WIN!!#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/j7XOYM5g2N
"I know what we're capable of. We've got to go out there and prove it, and just battle and want it more than another team, and that's what we did tonight against a very good Xavier team," MSU head coach Kim Bruno said.
Friday night's play commenced with doubles matches, with senior Liisa Vehviläinen and freshman Ellie Blackford, junior Matilde Morais and redshirt-sophomore Hanna Tsitavets and junior Issey Purser and redshirt-sophomore Oriana Parkins-Godwin taking to the courts.
On court one was the Vehvilainen/Blackford tandem, a pair that has competed in three doubles matches together this season. The two took on Xavier's Abby Nungent and Clara Owen.
While the Spartan pair put up a hard-fought contest, they were ultimately the first to drop their match, 3-6.
With Xavier being 1-0 in doubles matches versus MSU, the pressure was on for the pairings of Morais/Tsitavets and Purser/Parkins-Godwin.
The Morais/Tsitavets tandem were quick to recover, forcing Xavier to play out their third doubles match, securing their match quickly with a 6-4 win.
This left the fate of the doubles point on the Purser/Parkins-Godwin duo, where the match was at 5-5 when the Morais/Tsitavets match ended. The MSU pair rallied, sending the match into just a singular extra point, securing the doubles point for the Spartans at 7-5.
Singles matches began with a bang, with all those in the Green & White securing the first match point on their Xavier opponents.
First to finish was Vehvilainen at number one singles against Xavier's Elizabeth Pendergast. The veteran took her match in just two sets, securing an additional point for the Spartans, 6-4, 6-1.
It was a back-and-forth battle between MSU's Purser and Xavier's Emily Flowers, with Purser ultimately getting topped 3-6, 4-6.
With her third win for the Green & White, Tsitavets secured an additional point, taking her match in just two sets, 6-2, 6-3.
Brahmbhatt secured the match for the Spartans, going 6-2, 7-5.
While there were fierce contests for the other singles competitors Blackford and Morais, but they were unable to add points to the Spartans' total.
Xavier and West Virginia meet on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 12 p.m. at the MSU Tennis Center. The Spartans then face off against West Virginia on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 10 a.m.
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.
Singles competition
1. Liisa Vehviläinen (MSU-W) def. Elizabeth Pendergast (XU) 6-4, 6-1
2. Abby Nugent (XU) def. Ellie Blackford (MSU-W) 4-6, 6-4, 2-0, 99-0
3. Madeleine Rexroat (XU) def. Matilde Morais (MSU-W) 7-5, 6-4
4. Emily Flowers (XU) def. Issey Purser (MSU-W) 6-3, 6-4
5. Amara Brahmbhatt (MSU-W) def. Abigail Siminski (XU) 6-2, 7-5
6. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU-W) def. Sofia Mazzucato (XU) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Abby Nugent/Clara Owen (XU) def. Liisa Vehviläinen/Ellie Blackford (MSU-W) 6-3
2. Matilde Morais/Hanna Tsitavets (MSU-W) def. Emily Flowers/Elizabeth Pendergast (XU) 6-4
3. Issey Purser/Oriana Parkins-Godwin (MSU-W) def. Natalie Smitek/Sofia Mazzucato (XU) 7-5
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
1,4,6,5,3
Players Mentioned
