Sunday, March 30
East Lansing, Mich.
10 AM
Michigan State University
0
vs
4
Illinois
No. 73 Spartan Women’s Tennis Slide In Home Defeat Against No. 48 Illinois Sunday
3/30/2025 4:10:00 PM | Women's Tennis
MSU women’s tennis fell to No. 48 Illinois in a tough defeat Sunday morning in first half of Spartan tennis doubleheader.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 73-ranked Michigan State women's tennis fell to No. 48-ranked Illinois Sunday morning at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center in a hard-fought 4-0 loss.
MSU moves to an 11-8 overall record and a 3-5 Big Ten Conference record after falling in the first half of a Spartan tennis doubleheader at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center with the MSU men's team. The Fighting Illini slate a 9-10 overall record and an even 4-4 B1G ledger with Sunday's win.
In doubles matches, the pairings of junior Issey Purser/redshirt-sophomore Oriana Parkins-Godwin and freshman Ellie Blackford/senior Liisa Vehvilainen were quick to fall to their opponents in 2-6 defeats.
As Illinois clinched the doubles point, freshman Amara Brahmbhatt/junior Matilde Morais' match at No. 3 doubles went unfinished at 4-3 prior to being abandoned.
The Spartans were ready to fight back in singles matches, with strong performances being put up on all courts.
With a late lineup change, Parkins-Godwin was added to the singles lineup at No. 6 singles, and ultimately fell to Illinois' Alice Xu, 2-6, 1-6.
Morais followed in suit, dropping her match against Fighting Illini's Ariel Madatali, 4-6, 0-6.
Securing the match for the Fighting Illini was Megan Heurser at No. 2 singles, where she defeated Blackford, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
While the match was clinched in favor of Illinois, the remaining singles matches went unfinished, but all three were competitive forces.
At No. 1 singles stood Vehvilainen, who was en route towards a Spartan victory, going 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 4-1.
In a similar manner was redshirt-sophomore Hanna Tsitavets at No. 5 singles who stood at 4-6, 6-4, 5-0 before the match was abandoned.
Last was Brahmbhatt who took her first set against Illinois's Violeta Martienz, 7-6 (8-6), but then fell 3-6, 1-4 prior to the match being abandoned.
The Green & White are back on the road next weekend, traveling to Indiana for a set of matches against Purdue on Saturday, April 5 at 11 a.m. in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Indiana on Sunday, April 6 at 12 p.m. in Bloomington, Indiana.
Following their trip on the road, the Spartans return to East Lansing to host new Big Ten opponents Washington on Saturday, April 12 at 12 p.m. and Oregon on Sunday, April 13 at 12 p.m.
The remainder of Spartan women's tennis home matches will be played out at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center due to ongoing construction on the MSU Outdoor Tennis Courts.
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WTennis.
Tennis Match Results
Illinois vs Michigan State
3/30/2025 at East Lansing, Mich.
(MSU Indoor Tennis Center)
#48 Illinois 4, #73 Michigan State 0
Singles competition
1. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU-W) vs. McKenna Schaefbauer (ILLI) 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 4-1, unfinished
2. Megan Heuser (ILLI) def. Ellie Blackford (MSU-W) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
3. Amara Brahmbhatt (MSU-W) vs. Violeta Martinez (ILLI) 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 1-4, unfinished
4. Ariel Madatali (ILLI) def. Matilde Morais (MSU-W) 6-4, 6-0
5. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU-W) vs. Kasia Treiber (ILLI) 4-6, 6-4, 5-0, unfinished
6. Alice Xu (ILLI) def. Oriana Parkins-Godwi (MSU-W) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Violeta Martinez/Alice Xu (ILLI) def. Ellie Blackford/Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU-W) 6-2
2. McKenna Schaefbauer/Kasia Treiber (ILLI) def. Oriana Parkins-Godwin/Issey Purser (MSU-W) 6-2
3. Matilde Morais/Amara Brahmbhatt (MSU-W) vs. Megan Heuser/Ariel Madatali (ILLI) 4-3, unfinished
Match Notes:
Illinois 9-10; National ranking #48
Michigan State 11-8; National ranking #73
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,4,2)
MSU moves to an 11-8 overall record and a 3-5 Big Ten Conference record after falling in the first half of a Spartan tennis doubleheader at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center with the MSU men's team. The Fighting Illini slate a 9-10 overall record and an even 4-4 B1G ledger with Sunday's win.
In doubles matches, the pairings of junior Issey Purser/redshirt-sophomore Oriana Parkins-Godwin and freshman Ellie Blackford/senior Liisa Vehvilainen were quick to fall to their opponents in 2-6 defeats.
As Illinois clinched the doubles point, freshman Amara Brahmbhatt/junior Matilde Morais' match at No. 3 doubles went unfinished at 4-3 prior to being abandoned.
The Spartans were ready to fight back in singles matches, with strong performances being put up on all courts.
With a late lineup change, Parkins-Godwin was added to the singles lineup at No. 6 singles, and ultimately fell to Illinois' Alice Xu, 2-6, 1-6.
Morais followed in suit, dropping her match against Fighting Illini's Ariel Madatali, 4-6, 0-6.
Securing the match for the Fighting Illini was Megan Heurser at No. 2 singles, where she defeated Blackford, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
While the match was clinched in favor of Illinois, the remaining singles matches went unfinished, but all three were competitive forces.
At No. 1 singles stood Vehvilainen, who was en route towards a Spartan victory, going 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 4-1.
In a similar manner was redshirt-sophomore Hanna Tsitavets at No. 5 singles who stood at 4-6, 6-4, 5-0 before the match was abandoned.
Last was Brahmbhatt who took her first set against Illinois's Violeta Martienz, 7-6 (8-6), but then fell 3-6, 1-4 prior to the match being abandoned.
The Green & White are back on the road next weekend, traveling to Indiana for a set of matches against Purdue on Saturday, April 5 at 11 a.m. in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Indiana on Sunday, April 6 at 12 p.m. in Bloomington, Indiana.
Following their trip on the road, the Spartans return to East Lansing to host new Big Ten opponents Washington on Saturday, April 12 at 12 p.m. and Oregon on Sunday, April 13 at 12 p.m.
The remainder of Spartan women's tennis home matches will be played out at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center due to ongoing construction on the MSU Outdoor Tennis Courts.
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WTennis.
Tennis Match Results
Illinois vs Michigan State
3/30/2025 at East Lansing, Mich.
(MSU Indoor Tennis Center)
#48 Illinois 4, #73 Michigan State 0
Singles competition
1. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU-W) vs. McKenna Schaefbauer (ILLI) 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 4-1, unfinished
2. Megan Heuser (ILLI) def. Ellie Blackford (MSU-W) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
3. Amara Brahmbhatt (MSU-W) vs. Violeta Martinez (ILLI) 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 1-4, unfinished
4. Ariel Madatali (ILLI) def. Matilde Morais (MSU-W) 6-4, 6-0
5. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU-W) vs. Kasia Treiber (ILLI) 4-6, 6-4, 5-0, unfinished
6. Alice Xu (ILLI) def. Oriana Parkins-Godwi (MSU-W) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Violeta Martinez/Alice Xu (ILLI) def. Ellie Blackford/Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU-W) 6-2
2. McKenna Schaefbauer/Kasia Treiber (ILLI) def. Oriana Parkins-Godwin/Issey Purser (MSU-W) 6-2
3. Matilde Morais/Amara Brahmbhatt (MSU-W) vs. Megan Heuser/Ariel Madatali (ILLI) 4-3, unfinished
Match Notes:
Illinois 9-10; National ranking #48
Michigan State 11-8; National ranking #73
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,4,2)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1
#1 Singles Match
1234
McKenna Schaefbauer / 0 [ILLI]
6610
734UF
#2 Singles Match
123
Megan Heuser / 0 [ILLI]
626
364
#3 Singles Match
1234
Violeta Martinez / 0 [ILLI]
6640
731UF
#4 Singles Match
12
Ariel Madatali / 0 [ILLI]
66
40
#5 Singles Match
1234
Kasia Treiber / 0 [ILLI]
6400
465UF
#6 Singles Match
12
Alice Xu / 0 [ILLI]
66
12
Order of Finish:
6,4,2
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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