{"id":227250,"date":"2026-04-11T04:58:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T04:58:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/227250\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T04:58:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T04:58:20","slug":"final-road-match-awaits-eastern-tennis-at-miami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/227250\/","title":{"rendered":"Final Road Match Awaits Eastern Tennis at Miami"},"content":{"rendered":"

OXFORD, Ohio\u00a0(EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University tennis team hits the road one final time in 2026 this weekend as the Eagles will face the RedHawks of Miami University on the Miami Tennis Courts in Oxford, Ohio, Sunday, April 12, at 12 p.m. The Eagles (10-10, 1-5 Mid-American Conference) have two matches remaining on their regular season schedule with their final road match coming against the RedHawks (6-11, 3-3 MAC) before capping the season with Senior Day, April 19, against visiting Western Michigan University.
\n\u00a0
\nFIRST SERVES
\n\u00bb The Eagles are 10-10 overall and 1-5 in MAC play after dropping their lone match of the week, a 6-1 setback to host Ball State (April 3).
\n\u00bb For the second consecutive dual, freshman Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya<\/a> was the lone victor in the match as she again captured a three-set win at No. 1 singles, giving her four consecutive victories in the top spot.
\n\u00bb The Eagles’ four freshmen have combined to win 56 of the team’s 74 wins this season (75.7 percent)\u00a0 with Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya<\/a> leading the way at 16 victories while Matilde Parreira<\/a> is just behind her with 15.
\n\u00bb Matilde Parreira<\/a> recorded the clinching point at No. 5 singles against Toledo (March 22) and was part of the doubles-clinching team with Sabrina Tolstova<\/a> as well. Parreira has clinched the team’s winning point in 4-of-10 victories (40. 0 percent) while she and Tolstova have captured 6-of-9 clinching wins in doubles (66.7). All told, she has had a hand in 52.6 percent of all clinching points this year.
\n\u00bb Regina Mendez Carre\u00f1o secured wins at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles against NIU (March 13) to mark her first career MAC victories in both. She entered the dual 0-6 all-time in MAC singles matches and had not played doubles in a MAC contest before taking on the Huskies.
\n\u00bb Eastern is in its 49th varsity season in 2026 and, following its weekend split, is now 555-477 all-time. The 4-2 win at St. Francis (Pa.), Jan. 24, stands as the 550th victory in program history.
\n\u00bb Under Ryan Kucera<\/a>, the Eagles have posted a 25-4 record at home, including an 11-0 mark in his debut season (2024), a 10-2 mark last year, and a 4-2 start in 2026. In the six seasons played ahead of Kucera’s arrival, the Eagles were 21-30 at home.
\n\u00bb Eastern has been strong in doubles play under Ryan Kucera<\/a> as they have won 54.5 percent (36-of-66) of the doubles points since the start of the 2024 season. The Eagles were 13-of-23 in 2024 before improving to 14-of-22 last year and have won 9-of-20 this year.
\n\u00bb In the three seasons Ryan Kucera<\/a> has led the program, Eastern holds a record of 29-7 when it wins the doubles point and has won 11 consecutive matches when securing the point. Conversely, EMU is 5-25 when it does not win the point, including its 4-3 win at home over Bradley, Feb. 20.
\n\u00bb The 2025-26 Eastern Michigan roster features eight players from eight countries and four continents. Included on the roster are four returning Eagles in Iva Daneva<\/a>, Lara Diaz Zayas<\/a>, Regina Mendez Carre\u00f1o, and Kseniia Saenko<\/a>, and four newcomers in Pehal Kharadkar<\/a>, Matilde Parreira<\/a>, Sabrina Tolstova<\/a>, and Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya<\/a>.
\n\u00bb With the four freshmen included, the EMU roster boasts players from eight countries, including Argentina, India, Indonesia, Mexico, North Macedonia, Portugal, Russia, and Ukraine. All told, the Eagles are represented on four continents, including North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
\n\u00bb Ryan Kucera<\/a> returns for his third season as the head coach and will look to guide the team to the MAC Tournament for the second time. He has guided the team to back-to-back 12-win seasons for the first time since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons when Tim Gray led the team to consecutive 16-win campaigns.
\n\u00bb Ryan Kucera<\/a> ranks sixth all-time in wins by a head coach in program history with 33. The wins at DePaul (No. 31) and Butler (No. 32) pushed him ahead of Allison Tookes, who had 31 from 1991-95.
\n\u00a0
\nLAST TIME OUT: EASTERN FALLS AT BALL STATE
\nFor the second consecutive match, Eastern dropped a MAC contest by a 6-1 score with the latest coming at Ball State, April 3. Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya<\/a> was the lone Eagle to secure a victory as she won her No. 1 singles match in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0(4). It marked the second consecutive week she won the lone point in a MAC match for Eastern and did so with a three-set win in back-to-back matches to move to 5-1 in league play.
\n\u00a0
\nGOING THE DISTANCE
\nCylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya<\/a> has played well at the top singles spot this year, especially in league action where she is 5-1 overall, including four consecutive wins. Her last two matches have gone the distance with the freshman winning both in three sets to improve to 3-3 overall in three-set contests and 2-1 in the MAC with her lone blemish a 4-6, 6-4, 2-6 setback at UMass. Additionally, she has found a way to fight back as she is 2-0 in three-set matches in MAC play when she drops the first set.
\n\u00a0
\nPLAYING ANOTHER SET
\nAs a team, the Eagles are 20-21 in three-set matches this season, including 6-5 in MAC contests. When winning the first set, Eastern is 11-13, including a 3-3 mark in MAC matches, while sitting 9-8 overall and 3-1 in the MAC when dropping the first set. Sabrina Tolstova<\/a> has played the most three-set matches of any Eagle this year with 10 (5-5) while the six players that have played a three-set match this year have won at least twice while five of the six have captured at least one three-set victory over a MAC opponent.
\n\u00a0
\nROOKIES ROCKING
\nThe four freshmen added to the roster this year have made immediate impacts for the Eagles as they lead the team in singles wins and combined wins through the match played at Ball State (April 3). Cylova Zuleyka Hukmasabiyya<\/a> leads the way with 16 singles wins while Matilde Parreira<\/a> leads in combined wins (28) while sitting tied for the lead in doubles victories with playing partner Sabrina Tolstova<\/a> (13). Tolstova has also reached 26 combined wins in her rookie season as she has added 13 singles wins. Pehal Kharadkar<\/a> has added 12 singles wins as well. All told, the four rookies have combined to win 56 of the team’s 74 singles wins this year (75.7 percent of the wins).
\n\u00a0
\nWHEN TWO IS ONE
\nThrough the match with Ball State (April 3), the Eagles have captured the doubles point nine times this year with the team of Matilde Parreira<\/a> and Sabrina Tolstova<\/a> adding the point-clinching win six times, including most recently against the Rockets with their 6-4 decision at the No. 2 spot. The freshmen duo has clinched the point five times from the No. 2 position while adding one at the No. 1 spot.
\n\u00a0
\nBRINGING IN THE CLOSER?
\nFollowing her clinching point at No. 5 singles against Toledo (March 22), Matilde Parreira<\/a> has been a closer of late for the Eagles as she clinched the deciding point four times in the Eagles’ 10 victories in 2026 (40.0 percent). Adding in the six doubles points clinched with playing partner Sabrina Tolstova<\/a>, Parreira has had a hand in 10 of the 19 clinching points (6-of-9 doubles points and 4-of-10 team dual points) this season, equating to 52.6 percent.
\n\u00a0
\nA FIRST FOR EVERYTHING
\nAhead of the match with Northern Illinois (March 13), Regina Mendez Carre\u00f1o had not won a MAC match in her career as she stood 0-6 in singles and had not competed in doubles. The senior played both singles and doubles against the Huskies where she secured her first wins in both. In doubles, she paired with Iva Daneva<\/a> to grab a 6-2 victory at No. 3 before she secured a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles. Mendez Carre\u00f1o has secured 46 combined wins in her career, leaving her four away from reaching 50.
\n\u00a0
\nSTRAIGHT TO THE (DOUBLES) POINT
\nEastern has captured the doubles point in 9-of-19 matches (47.4 percent) played this season and has secured the point in 55.4 percent of matches played under Ryan Kucera<\/a> (36-of-65) since the start of the 2024 season. Ahead of his arrival, the Eagles captured the point just four times (26.7 percent) in the 2022-23 season before winning the point 56.5 percent in 2024 (13-of-23) and 60.9 percent last year (14-of-23).
\n\u00a0
\nDOUBLES TALES
\nSince Ryan Kucera<\/a> took over ahead of the 2023-24 season, doubles have been a key component to the team’s success. In the 65 matches played, the Eagles have won the doubles point 36 times (55.4 percent) which has translated into a 29-7 record in the team match and wins in 11 consecutive team duals when winning the doubles point. Conversely, the Eagles are 5-24 when they don’t win the doubles point, including the 4-3 win over Bradley at home, Feb. 20.
\n\u00a0
\nKNOW THE FOE: MIAMI
\nThe RedHawks sport a record of 6-11 overall and 3-3 in MAC matches with a match against visiting Dayton schedule ahead of their meeting with the Eagles. Miami is 5-1 at home this year (1-9 away and 0-1 at neutral sites) and have won two consecutive home matches, including 5-2 over Bowling Green and 4-3 over Northern Illinois, to bounce back from its lone home loss, a 4-3 setback to UMass.
\n\u00a0
\nIN THE SERIES: MIAMI
\nEastern is 6-45 all-time in its series with Miami with the RedHawks claiming wins in the last 21 matches, including 4-3 scores in each of the last two meetings (March 17, 2024, in Oxford, and March 30, 2025, in Ypsilanti). The Eagles, who are 1-20 all-time in Oxford, are 2-14 all-time in one-point duals, but have lost the last nine contests to end in a 4-3 score. The last time Eastern defeated Miami was April 2, 2005, in a 5-2 home decision that extended EMU’s streak to four consecutive wins. The last time the Eagles were victorious in Oxford came March 7, 2004, in a 4-3 win.
\n\u00a0
\nTHE LAST TIME VS. MIAMI
\nFor the second consecutive meeting, Eastern dropped a close 4-3 decision to Miami as the RedHawks escaped Ypsilanti with the win, March 30, 2025. Miami took a 1-0 lead with the doubles point before extending the lead with a win at No. 1 singles. The Eagles tied it up with Kseniia Saenko<\/a> (No. 4) and Lara Diaz Zayas<\/a> (No. 6) winning before Miami grabbed a win at No. 5 for a 3-2 lead. Daniella Shved<\/a> won at No. 2 to tie the match at 3-3, but a three-set loss at No. 3 ended the dual with the visitors on top.
\n\u00a0
\nTHE LAST TIME AT MIAMI
\nThe Eagles fell to the RedHawks, 4-3, in their most recent trip to Miami (March 17, 2024), as their comeback bid fell short. After taking a 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point, the Eagles fell behind, 3-1, as the RedHawks captured wins at No. 2, No. 1, and No. 5. Eastern halted the run with Sabina Brichackova<\/a> claiming a win at No. 6 before Kseniia Saenko<\/a> tied the dual with her win at No. 4. The match ended with the Eagles dropping a three-set battle at No. 3 with the RedHawks securing the 4-3 win on their home courts.
\n\u00a0
\nROAD WINS
\nThe loss at Michigan State (Feb. 1) also was the first of the year on the road for EMU, which halted their four-match winning streak away from home. The 4-0 start tied for the third-best road showing in program history with only the 2002-03 and 1983-84 teams starting better as both opened at 6-0. Eastern is 6-7 on the road in 2025-26.
\n\u00a0
\nHOME PROTECTION
\nSince taking over the program ahead of the 2023-24 season, the Eagles hold a 25-4 record at home under Ryan Kucera<\/a>, a mark that included the Eagles going a perfect 11-0 at home in 2024, 10-2 last year, and 4-2 in 2026. In the previous six seasons played ahead of Kucera’s arrival, the Eagles were 21-30, including a 3-4 mark in the 2022-23 season. The win totals also rank as the highest (11) and second-highest (10) in single-season history for the program.
\n\u00a0
\nON THE HORIZON
\nEastern Michigan will play host to rival Western Michigan University in a 1 p.m. contest Sunday, April 19 at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti. The match will serve as Senior Day with the program’s lone senior, Regina Mendez Carre\u00f1o, being honored in a pre-match ceremony on the court.
\n\u00a0
\nFOLLOW US
\nFor all things EMU Tennis, be sure to check out the team’s social media accounts, including EMUEaglesTennis on X (formerly Twitter) and EMU_Tennis on Instagram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"OXFORD, Ohio\u00a0(EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University tennis team hits the road one final time in 2026 this…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":227251,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[123,125,124],"class_list":["post-227250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227250"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227250\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}