Michigan State University Athletics
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MSU Women’s Tennis Celebrates Spartan Seniors in Pair of Weekend Home Matches
4/10/2026 4:00:00 PM | Women's Tennis
No. 64 Michigan State welcomes Rutgers and Maryland in the penultimate weekend of the regular-season schedule.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 64 Michigan State women's tennis welcomes Rutgers on Saturday, April 11, at 12 p.m. and No. 44 Maryland on Sunday, April 12, at 11 a.m. in East Lansing, Mich., for Spartan Senior Celebrations.
The Spartan Senior Celebration during Sunday's match will honor seniors Sarah Fazlagic, Issey Purser, Matilde Morais, and redshirt-juniors Oriana Parkins-Godwin and Hanna Tsitavets.
Locations of the matches are to be announced at a later date, depending on the weather. Fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @msu_wtennis on X/Twitter for schedule and location updates.
MSU is slotted at No. 64 in the ITA rankings after earning a 10-10 overall record and a 3-7 Big Ten Conference record so far. The nine-spot move up in the rankings comes after the Green & White's upset win over No. 54 Illinois in their regular-season road finale last weekend.
Sophomore Ellie Blackford and senior Matilde Morais have also earned themselves a ranking of No. 58 in doubles play after various upsets and impressive wins at No. 1 doubles.
MSU's pair of home matches this weekend follows the Spartans' four-game road trip, where they earned a 2-2 B1G record.
It's also Michigan State's penultimate weekend of the regular-season ledger, and is MSU's final weekend with two matches, with only one match scheduled for next week.
Scouting Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights have had a trying season, but have been able to persevere to an 8-11 overall record and a 1-8 B1G record.
Notably, Rutgers beat Minnesota in their sole Big Ten Conference triumph in a 4-2 victory at home.
Going into B1G action, the Scarlet Knights held a 7-3 dual match record, yet they have battled through the competitive nature of the Big Ten.
Series History vs Rutgers
MSU has held strong against RU since their first meeting during the 2015 season, when Rutgers joined the league, holding a 6-4 record.
The Green & White welcome the Scarlet Knights to East Lansing for the first time since 2021, with it also being the last time the Spartans won against Rutgers.
Since 2021, MSU is 0-4 against Rutgers, with the two teams last meeting during the 2023-24 spring dual match season.
This match will also be the first time MSU and Rutgers have met since Rutgers ended the Spartans' 2023-24 season at the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., in a heartbreaking 4-3 loss for MSU.
Scouting Maryland
Maryland has had a strong season, earning a 14-4 overall record and a 6-3 B1G record.
The Terps have fallen to similar foes as MSU, such as Ohio State and Penn State, during the spring season.
One Terrapin is ranked in singles action, Oliwia Orlinska, at No. 91 by the ITA.
Additionally, one doubles duo, Emma Ghirardato/Ema Kovacevic, are ranked at No. 73.
Before facing the Spartans, Maryland will travel to Ann Arbor to face Michigan on Saturday, April 11 at 12 p.m.
Series History vs. Maryland
Previously, the last time the Spartans and Terrapins faced off was during the 2023-24 spring season, where MSU ultimately ended up falling to Maryland in their home territory, 4-1.
Overall, the Spartans are 4-3 against Maryland, and 2-1 in East Lansing.
The last victory came for the Spartans during the 2020-21 season, where they overtook the Terrapins, 5-2, in College Park, MD.
Up Next
Michigan State women's tennis closes out its regular season at home, with MSU's final Big Ten Conference match against Michigan on Saturday, April 18, at 1 p.m.
Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan women's tennis team by following them on Instagram, X and Facebook @msu_wtennis
Players Mentioned
