Women's Tennis | 2/7/2025 8:39:00 AM
Emporia State Hornet Women (0-0)
vs. Ottawa Braves (0-0)
Saturday, February 8 • 11:00 a.m. • Kossover Family Tennis Complex • Emporia, Kan
Live Video:
The MIAA Network
vs. McPherson Bulldogs (2-0)
Tuesday, February 11 • 3:00 p.m. • Kossover Family Tennis Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Live Video:
The MIAA Network
Emporia State Hornet Men (10-7, 1-2 MIAA/GAC)
vs. McPherson Bulldogs (15-3, 2-0 MIAA/GAC)
Sunday, February 9 • 4:00 p.m. • Genesis Health Club • Salina, Kan.
Live Video:
https://web.playsight.com/facility/mcpherson-college-tennis/home
Up Next: Men vs. Seward County CC (Exhib.)
Thursday, February 13 • 9:30 a.m. • Kossover Family Tennis Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Women at Drury
Sunday, February 16 • 12:00 p.m. • Cooper Tennis Complex • Springfield, Mo.
LET'S GET THINGS STARTED
The Emporia State tennis teams open up the spring season this weekend with the women playing McPherson and Ottawa while the men take on McPherson.
QUICK LOOK AT THE HORNETS
The Emporia State women went 5-12 in 2024 and finished eighth in the MIAA. They were slated for sixth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
The Hornets will be led by key senior returners
Paige Stranghoner and
Anastasia Pesic who won nine and seven matches respectively last season while both having winning records in singles. Stranghoner and Pesic have combined to play in 64 singles matches over the past three seasons for the Hornets.
The Emporia State men went 10-8 last season and finished fourth in the MIAA/GAC North Division for the fourth consecutive season. They were picked fourth in the MIAA/GAC Preseason Poll
The Hornets are led by
Anton Sarunic who went 11-6 at #1 singles last season and cracked the top 50 in the ITA rankings. Sarunic will be joined by sophomore returners
Mostafa Elbasnaly and
Diego Calvo who won 11 and nine singles matches respectively in 2024.
KNOW THE FOE
The McPherson women are 2-0 this spring after going 17-5 last season on the way to a KCAC Championship. They advanced to the NAIA National Tournament
The Ottawa women will be making their spring debut after a 15-7 season in 2024 that included a loss to McPherson in the KCAC Championship match. The Braves also made it to the NAIA National Tournament.
The McPherson men have opened the season 2-1 with the loss coming to MIAA member Neb.-Kearney. The Bulldogs went 16-5 last season and won the KCAC Championship on the way to an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament.
LAST SERVES
Women vs. McPherson
The Hornets swept the nationally ranked Bulldogs from the NAIA 7-0, dropping just one set by a tiebreaker.
Lilie Bizouerne and
Paige Stranghoner won 6-0 at #1 doubles, followed quickly by
Andrea Santiago and
Anastasia Pesic with a 6-2 win at #2 and
Perla Conde Vendrell and
Sheriden Wichman getting a 6-1 win at #3 doubles.
Conde Vendrell won 6-3, 6-3 at #1 singles, Bisouerne picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win at #2, and
Angelina Gnezdilova won 6-3, 6-1 at #3 singles to clinch the dual win. Gionanna Ferreira then won 6-2, 6-1 at #4 followed by a 6-0, 6-2 win by Stranghoner at #5 before
Keira Knoflicek wrapped up the dual with a 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7) win at #6 singles.
The McPherson women were ranked #16 in the ITA NAIA National rankings at the time.
Women vs. Ottawa
Emporia State's women won their third straight dual with a 6-1 victory over Ottawa University at the Kossover Family Tennis Complex.
The Hornets started with an advantage as the Braves could not field a full team. With no Ottawa team at #3 doubles,
Karen Santiago Sanchez and
Viktoria Mackova's 6-2 win at #1 doubles to give Emporia State the doubles point.
With Braves player at #6 the Hornets went up 2-0 to start singles play.
Micaela McSpadden won 6-2, 6-1 at #1 to make it 3-0 and
Anastasia Pesic won 6-4, 6-4 at #2 singles to clinch the win.
Andrea Santiago Sanchez won 7-6, 6-2 at #4 singles while Mackova picked up a 6-0,6-0 win at #5 to round out the Emporia State wins.
Men vs. McPherson
The Hornet men took care of NAIA nationally ranked McPherson 6-1 to improve to 9-6 on the season.
Mostafa Elbasnaly and
Harrison Brown started the dual with a 6-1 win at #2 doubles before McPherson took a 6-4 win at #3.
Anton Sarunic and
Sergio Vera Martin gave the Hornets the doubles point with 7-5 win at #1 doubles.
Diego Calvo won 6-2, 6-3 at #3 and Elbasnaly won 6-4, 6-2 at #2 to give the Hornets a 3-0 lead before Sarunic clinched the team win with a 7-6, 6-4 win at #1 singles. Emporia State also got wins from Vera Martin 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-3) at #4 and
Hachem Fahem 6-4, 6-7 (1-7), 1-0 (10-7) at #5 to close out the dual.
The Bulldogs were #25 in the ITA NAIA Rankings.
UP NEXT
The Emporia State men will play host to Seward County CC in an exhibition match on Thursday, February 13 at the Kossover Family Tennis Center. First serve is set for 9:30 a.m.
The next regular season action for both teams will be on Sunday, February 16 when they travel to Drury. First serves from the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo. is set for 12:00 p.m.
