Final home matches for Emporia State Tennis this weekend

Women's Tennis | 4/14/2023 9:56:00 AM

Emporia State Hornet Women (5-11, 1-5 MIAA)
vs. #49 Northeastern State RiverHawks (8-7, 3-3 MIAA)
Friday, April 14 • 2:00 p.m. • Kossover Family Tennis Complex • Emporia, Kan.
vs. #27 Central Oklahoma Bronchos (8-9, 3-3 MIAA)
Saturday, April 15 • 2:00 p.m. • Kossover Family Tennis Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Emporia State Hornet Men (5-9, 1-3 MIAA)
vs. William Jewell Cardinals (8-15, 0-3 GLVC)
Sunday, April 16 • 1:00 p.m. • Kossover Family Tennis Complex • Emporia, Kan.

SENIOR WEEKEND
Emporia State will play their final matches of the season this weekend at the Kossover Family Tennis Complex. The women will take on a pair of top 50 opponents in #49 Northeastern State and #27 Central Oklahoma while the men will finish up with William Jewell.
 
LAST SETS
Playing their final road matches of the season, the Emporia State women posted a 4-0 win at Rockhurst on Tuesday afternoon. The Hornet men fell to the Hawks 6-0 at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City, Mo.
The Emporia State women took two of three doubles matches to begin the dual with a 1-0 lead. Karen Santiago and Alexia Desmet won 6-3 at #2 while Caroline Henry and Andrea Santiago won 6-3 at the #3 position.
All three of the completed singles matches were close with Emporia State coming out on top in all three. Desmet got the win at #1 taking a 6-4, 7-6 (7) win at the top of the order.  Karen Santiago and Angelina Gnezdilova were both extended to a third set tiebreaker before picking up wins. Santiago won 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8) at #2 singles while Gnezdilova came from behind at #3 for a 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-6) win.
The Hornet men fell 6-0 with three of the singles matches going to a third set.  The Hawks swept the doubles to take a 1-0 headed into singles play.
Theo Belmonte won the first set 6-0 at #2 singles but would drop the second set 6-4 and fell 7-6 (7-5) in the third set.   Gwendal Mazuay dropped the first set 6-4 then came back to win the second before falling 10-7 in a third set tiebreaker.  Sergio Vera also fell in a third set tiebreaker 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-1).

THE COACH
Former Hornet CeCe Peyroche took over as the interim coach for Emporia State in December. She is 5-9 with the men's team and 5-11 in women's action. Peyroche was 23-15 in singles play during her three years as a Hornet before moving into the graduate assistant position last year.  

A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
The Hornet women are 5-11 overall and 1-5 in the MIAA this year. Emporia State is a combined 16-15 at the #2 and #3 positions of singles play with five players competing in those slots this year. Karen Santiago is 4-2 at the #2 spot and 3-4 at #3 with an overall record of 7-8 in singles play.  Angelina Gnezdilova is 3-1 at #3 while going 3-3 at #1 for an overall record of 7-8 as well. Paige Stranghoner it 6-6 overall and 2-2 at the #3 spot. Alexia Desmet is 2-2 in #2 singles and 3-6 at #1 for an overall record of 5-8.
The Hornet have used ten different doubles combinations this season. Karen Santiago is 5-4 in doubles play with a 3-1 record at the top of the order, teaming with Alexia Desmet for a 2-1 record and Paige Stranghoner for a win as well. Andrea Santiago and Caroline Henry have been paired together the most. They are 7-8 overall with a 3-2 mark at #2 and 4-6 at #3 doubles.
The Emporia State men are 5-9 overall with a 1-3 mark in MIAA/GAC North Division play. Harrison Brown in 5-5 on the year, going 1-1 at #3, 2-3 at #4 and 2-1 at #5 singles.  Dominik Simunovic has played the top spot in 11 duals with a 4-7 record on the year. Gwendal Mazquay is 4-6 on the season with a 2-2 mark at #6 singles while going 2-3 at #5.  Theo Belmonte is 4-9 on the year with a 3-5 mark at the #3 position.
The Hornets are 10-17 in #2 and #3 doubles but have gone just 1-13 at the #1 doubles spot on the season.  Brown is 6-5 in doubles play this year. He has teamed with Simunovic to go 4-3 this year with a 3-3 mark at #2 and 1-0 record at #3 doubles while going 2-2 at #2 doubles with Belmonte. Mazquay and Jaden Tredway are 2-2 at #3 doubles.

KNOW THE FOE
The Northeastern State women are 8-7, 3-3 in the MIAA. They are ranked #8 in the NCAA Central Regional Rankings and are #49 in national ITA Rankings. They have lost their last three duals. Emily Cosatto is ranked #15 in the nation in singles play and teams with Alisha Moldakhmetova to rank #42 in doubles play.
The Central Oklahoma women are 8-9, 3-3 in the MIAA.  They are ranked #2 in the NCAA Central Regional Rankings and #27 in the nation. Entering play on Friday the Bronchos have gone 1-3 in their last four duals, with all four coming against teams ranked in the top 50 and three of theme in the top 25. Nikki Boyar and Blythe Buntrock are the #4 ranked doubles team in the nation while Pete Komada is ranked #32 in the nation in singles.
The William Jewell men are 8-15, 0-3 in the GLVC. They have lost six straight duals entering the weekend. They are 0-4 against the MIAA this season.
 
UP NEXT
To make the to six and advance to the MIAA Tournament, the Emporia State women need to win both duals this weekend and have Newman defeat both Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma. The men's conference season is over and they did not finish in the top three to make the MIAA Tournament.