Michigan State University
Intercollegiate Tennis Association
Michigan State Women’s Tennis Wraps Up ITA Regionals Action
10/20/2025 12:30:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Spartans tab a successful weekend competing at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State women's tennis tabbed a successful weekend at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships in Champaign, Illinois with six Spartans competing in a competitive fashion.
The Regional competition was hosted by Illinois and was played at Atkins Tennis Center, and kicked off on Thursday, Oct. 16 with qualifying matches featuring three Spartans for contention.
Sophomore Nina Plihal, senior Issey Purser and redshirt-junior Hanna Tsitavets all slated wins in the first round of qualifying matches.
Plihal defeated Tzu-Ying Tseng of Bradley, 7-6 (11-9), 6-1. Following was Purser who took down Big Ten foe Megan Basil of Ohio State, 6-1, 6-3. Tsitavets continued the success with a win against Frida Weijerman of Western Michigan, 6-3, 6-3.
In the second round of qualifying matches Plihal and Tsitavets continued their victorious reign, notching another win in the Regional competition.
Plihal beat Clara Nilsson of DePaul, 6-4, 7-5 while Tsitavets took down Anna Belogliadova of Bradley, 6-2, 6-3.
While Purser put up a great effort, she ultimately fell to DePaul's Yasemin Pehlivan, 6-2, 6-2.
Doubles matches continued the action on Thursday with three Spartan pairings partaking in the action.
Sophomore pairing Ellie Blackford/Nina Plihal took down Blair/Fonseca of Bowling Green in an 8-4 victory. Amara Brahmbhatt/Hanna Tsitavets continued the success beating Barnstedt/Poon of Marquette 8-7(7-4) win.
The senior duo of Sarah Fazlagic/Issey Purser fell to the Parreira/Tolstova duo from Eastern Michigan in an 8-4 deficit.
During the second round of doubles, all Spartan teams fell to their opponents.
The main draw of singles kicked off on Friday, Oct. 17 with Plihal and Tsitavets earning themselves a spot in the main draw.
Plihal faced off against McKenna Schaefbauer of Illinois, falling, 6-0, 6-2.
Blackford slated a win against B1G foe Ohio State's Alessia Cau 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 7-5.
Tsitavets fell to her Notre Dame opponent Akari Matsuno 6-3, 6-0 in the first round of the main draw.
Brahmbhatt was the last success of the main draw of singles, claiming a victory over Michigan's Bailey Sheinin, 4-1, with Sheinin retiring due to injury.
In the second round of 32, Blackford and Brahmbhatt continued their reign.
Blackford faced Wisconsin's Ellison Reynoldson, claiming a 6-3, 6-4 win to continue to the round of sixteen.
Brahmbhatt also continued with success against Northwestern's Marelie Raath, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
In the round of sixteen while both Spartans put up valiant efforts, they were unable to secure a trip to the semi-finals.
Blackford fell to McKenna Schaefbauer of Illinois 4-6, 6-4, 5-7, while Brahmbhatt fell to Nao Nishin of Ohio State 6-0, 6-3.
That marked the end of the ITA Midwest Regionals for the Spartans. MSU now returns to East Lansing to prepare for the Spartan Invite from Friday-Sun Oct. 31-Nov. 1 hosted at Michigan State.
Keep up to date with the Spartan women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WTennis.
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