Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Illinois
No. 75 Women’s Tennis Upsets No. 54 Illinois Sunday In Regular-Season Road Finale
4/5/2026 6:58:00 PM | Women's Tennis
The Spartans top Illinois 4-1 in their final match on the road.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 75 Michigan State women's tennis upset No. 54 Illinois, 4-1, at UI's Atkins Tennis Center Sunday afternoon.
MSU advances to 10-10 overall and 3-6 in Big Ten Conference action. Illinois moves to 9-10 over and 5-4 in B1G play.
Sunday's action began with an intense set of doubles matches. The MSU pairing of sophomore Ellie Blackford and senior Matilde Morais were quick to take their match at No. 1 doubles over Tess Bucher/Alice Xu of Illinois, 6-2.
No. 2 and No. 3 doubles were both back-and-forth battles between the Spartans and Illini tandems, with both matches moving to tie-breaks.
First to clinch their tie-break was MSU sophomore Amara Brahmbhatt and redshirt-junior Hanna Tsitavets at No. 2 doubles, taking down the Illinois duo of McKenna Schaefbauer/Ariel Madatali 7-6 (7-2).
With the double point clinched in the Spartans' favor, sophomore Nina Plihal and senior Issey Purser's match at No. 3 doubles went unfinished, standing at 6-6 (8-8).
Singles matches were of a similar nature, a difficult contest, and all athletes fighting for a point.
Plihal was first to secure a point for the Spartans, winning her match at No. 5 singles versus Tess Bucher, 6-4, 6-2.
Illinois fought back, seizing No. 1 singles, where Brahmbhatt was overtaken 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 by No. 39-ranked McKenna Schaefbauer.
Purser retaliated after dropping her first set, winning straight sets in a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory to add the third point to MSU's total.
Blackford clinched the match for the Green & White at No. 2 singles, where she came back from losing her first set and won in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 triumph versus Kimiko Cooper.
Morais and Tsitavets's matches at No. 3 and No. 4 singles went unfinished.
Up Next
MSU women's tennis travels back to East Lansing for their final home weekend of the regular-season with matches against Rutgers on Saturday, April 11, at 12 p.m. and Maryland on Sunday, April 12, at 12 p.m.
Locations for these matches will be announced at a later date, depending on the weather.
These matches also serve as the Spartan Senior Celebrations for the MSU women's tennis graduating class: Sarah Fazlagic, Matilde Morais, Oriana Parkins-Godwin, Issey Purser and Hanna Tsitavets.
Fans can keep up to date with Michigan State women's tennis by following them Instagram, X and Facebook, @msu_wtennis
Tennis Match Results
Michigan State vs Illinois
4/5/2026 at Urbana, Ill.
(Atkins Tennis Center)
#75 Michigan State 4, #54 Illinois 1
Singles competition
1. #39 McKenna Schaefbauer (ILLINI) def. Amara Brahmbhatt (MSU-W) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
2. Ellie Blackford (MSU-W) def. Kimiko Cooper (ILLINI) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
3. Ariel Madatali (ILLINI) vs. Matilde Morais (MSU-W) 5-7, 6-3, 5-1, unfinished
4. Alice Xu (ILLINI) vs. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU-W) 6-2, 3-6, 3-5, unfinished
5. Nina Plihal (MSU-W) def. Tess Bucher (ILLINI) 6-4, 6-2
6. Issey Purser (MSU-W) def. Cara Mester (ILLINI) 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #43 Ellie Blackford/Matilde Morais (MSU-W) def. Tess Bucher/Alice Xu (ILLINI) 6-2
2. Amara Brahmbhatt/Hanna Tsitavets (MSU-W) def. McKenna Schaefbauer/Ariel Madatali (ILLINI) 7-6 (7-2)
3. Kimiko Cooper/Lizzie Isyanov (ILLINI) vs. Nina Plihal/Issey Purser (MSU-W) 6-6 (8-8), unfinished
Match Notes:
Michigan State 10-9, 3-6 B1G; National ranking #75
Illinois 9-10, 5-4 B1G; National ranking #54
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (5,1,6,2)
Players Mentioned
