Eastern Michigan University Tennis Opens 2025 Dual Season with Ferris State

YPSILANTI, Mich. — The Eastern Michigan University tennis team is set to kick off its 2025 dual season this weekend as the Eagles welcome Fermis State University to the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti for a pair of matches. The games are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and approximately 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 18.

First Serves

The 2025 season will consist of 23 dual matches, with 12 of those taking place at the Chippewa Club. Eastern Michigan enjoyed a perfect 11-0 home record in 2024, their last home defeat occurring on April 16, 2023, against Miami.

The Eagles have struggled in their opening season duals recently, losing three straight last year, including a 7-0 setback to Northwestern. Their last win in their first match of the season was on January 30, 2021, against Cleveland State.

When the team’s season opener is held at home, Eastern Michigan’s record improves significantly, standing at 12-2 since 2018. In 2024, they defeated Hillsdale 6-1, their second consecutive home victory, along with wins over Lawrence Tech (7-0) in 2022 and Youngstown State (6-1) in 2023.

Among their opponents this season are several Michigan schools, including Oakland, Michigan State, and Western Michigan, with whom they played a doubleheader against last year. The Eagles’ overall record against Michigan schools sits at 99-111, though they performed strongly last year with a 5-2 record.

In the 2025 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll, Eastern Michigan was predicted to finish third, earning 35 points. Miami and Toledo were ranked higher, at 48 and 38 points, respectively. Last year, they were ranked fourth and made their first MAC Tournament appearance since 2018.

The Eagles’ roster for the 2024-25 season includes 10 players, comprising six returnees and four newcomers, representing nine different nations: the U.S., Argentina, Czechia, India, Israel, Mexico, North Macedonia, Poland, and Russia.

Head coach Ryan Kucera returns for his second season and aims to guide the team to another MAC Tournament appearance. The coaching staff has also expanded with the additions of graduate assistant coach Masha Polishchuk and undergraduate assistant Andrew Dobbs.

Mitten Matches

Eastern Michigan will face four of their fellow Michigan schools at home and two on the road in 2025. This season, they’re just one victory away from reaching 100 wins in intrastate competition. Their upcoming schedule includes matches against Oakland (February 1), Michigan State (February 2), and Western Michigan (March 21 and March 28).

Lid Lifting · Season Opener

The Eagles have a mixed record in their opening dual matches, standing at 23-24 overall. Of these, 12 have been played at home, where they have a stronger winning percentage of 12-2. When opening against Michigan schools, their record is 11-7, with the last instance being a 7-0 loss to Michigan State on January 23, 2020.

Lid Lifting · Home Opener

In home openers, the Eagles hold a record of 29-17, having won their last three home openers against Hillsdale (January 27, 2024), Lawrence Tech (February 17, 2022), and Youngstown State (March 21, 2023). When these matches are against Michigan schools, their record is 13-7, with victories in their last two matches.

Know the Foe: Ferris State

Ferris State finished the 2024 season with a 12-10 record overall, going 6-1 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. They reached the semifinals of the GLIAC Tournament, defeated Wayne State in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament semifinals, while also reaching the NCAA tournament. Former Ferris State player Marta Komar, now an Eastern Michigan player, contributed by winning her No. 3 singles and No. 1 doubles matches during the NCAA semifinal.

In the Series: Ferris State

The Eastern Michigan-Ferris State series stands at 5-0 in favor of Eastern Michigan, with all matches played in Ypsilanti. Their last series was a doubleheader in 2024 where Eastern swept Ferris State, winning 6-1 and 5-0.

The Last Time vs. Ferris State

In their most recent meeting on January 28, 2024, Eastern Michigan dominated Ferris State, securing a 6-1 victory in the first match followed by a 5-0 sweep in the second. Notable performances came from Andrea Quiroz, Kseniia Saenko, and Linda Eloundou, who each won all their singles matches while helping secure Eastern Michigan’s home victory.

Ending a Drought?

The ultimate goal for Eastern Michigan is to win the MAC Tournament and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The team last achieved this in 2001, sweeping through the MAC Tournament hosted by Marshall and advancing to the NCAA First Round, where they lost to Notre Dame.

Preseason Prognostications

The 2025 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll predicted Eastern Michigan would finish third, earning 35 points. This ranks them behind Miami (48 points) and Toledo (38 points). Northern Illinois received 30 points for fourth place, Ball State and Buffalo tied at 23 points for fifth and sixth, respectively, with Western Michigan and Bowling Green following.

In the vote on who would win the MAC Tournament in April 2025, Miami received five votes, while Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, and Toledo each received one.

Looking to Repeat

In 2023-24, Eastern Michigan secured fourth place in the conference standings, earning their first MAC Tournament appearance since 2018, where they fell to Miami in the semifinals. A repeat this year would mark their first back-to-back appearances since 2014-2015.

Hitting the Century Mark

Sabina Brichackova captured two wins at the MAC Fall Individuals in Hamilton, Ohio, to reach career milestones 99 and 100, making her the first player to achieve this feat since 2017-18 when Ani Gogvadze and Andrea Matrinovska also completed their careers with career victories.

Up the Ladder

Sabina Brichackova and Prerna Vichare advanced to the finals of the MAC Fall Individuals, finishing as runners-up in the inaugural event. Their performances moved Brichackova and Vichare closer to the all-time top 20 in doubles wins, with each needing just a few more to join Miriam Westerink and Avi Gogvadze on the list.

On the Horizon

The Eagles will travel to Cincinnati and Dayton for their next matches, facing the University of Cincinnati at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 25, and the University of Dayton at 10 a.m. on Sunday, January 26.

Follow Us

For all updates on EMU Tennis, including match results, player profiles, and team news, follow EMUEaglesTennis on X (formerly Twitter) and EMU_Tennis on Instagram.

Join us in cheering for the Eastern Michigan University tennis team as they embark on their 2025 season. Share your predictions and thoughts on their performance in the comments below!