Mid-American Conference

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYER AND DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK
 
MAC Women’s Singles Tennis Player of the Week
Paula Comella, Bowling Green – Junior, Ciutadella de Menorca, Spain (les Cteib)
Bowling Green junior Paula Comella earned four wins on the weekend when she picked up two singles and two doubles victories against both Notre Dame and Detroit. A native of Ciutadella de Menorca, Spain, Comella first downed her opponent at Notre Dame in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 singles, earning the lone singles point for the Falcons on the day. Comella then extended her singles win streak to five straight matches when she defeated Detroit 6-2, 6-3 for another point for the Falcons in the eventual shutout of the Titans. Comella leads the Falcons with an 8-1 record on the season at No. 1 singles.
 
Additional Women’s Singles Nominees:
Anna Uljanov, Akron – Freshman, Schweinfurt, Germany (Olympia Morata Gymnasium)
Akron freshman Anna Uljanov continues outstanding play this spring. At No. 35 Kansas State, Uljanov picked up Akron’s only point with a 9-7 victory [played 8-game pro set after match was clinched] over Ines Mesquita at No. 5 singles. In the team’s 5-2 win at Missouri-Kansas City, the freshman moved up to No. 4 singles and battled Thanushree Vale in defeat, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Uljanov stands 5-3 in singles action this spring, playing the 3-5 positions.
 
Ani Gogvadze, Eastern Michigan – Senior, Tbilisi, Georgia (Khikhani)
Eastern Michigan senior Ani Gogvadze continued her strong start to the 2018 dual season going 3-0 for the Eagles at No. 1 singles against Incarnate Word, Texas State, and Lamar. Gogvadze kicked the week off with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 over UIW, and followed it up with wins of 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 over TSU and 0-6, 6-0, 6-3 over Lamar. The Eagles went 4-0 on their road swing through Oklahoma and Texas over spring break, and are now 7-3 on the season, passing its 2017 dual win total. Gogvadze is an impressive 8-0 in the dual season, playing all matches at No. 1. She's also teamed with fellow senior Andrea Martinovska at No. 2 doubles to go 4-2 on the season.

Emily Struble, Miami – Junior, Holt, Mich. (Okemos High School)
Miami junior Emily Struble went 2-0 last weekend against ETSU and Western Kentucky. On Friday, Feb. 23, she defeated ETSU's Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (10-8) at third singles.  On Saturday, Feb. 24, she defeated WKU's Monica Malinen 6-4, 7-5 at fourth singles, helping Miami to the 4-1 victory.
 
Barbare Eristavi, Western Michigan – Senior, Tbilisi, Georgia (GAU)
Western Michigan senior Barbare Eristavi dominated her two singles matches last weekend to help the Western Michigan women’s tennis team improve its winning streak to five and improve to 7-4 overall this spring. Eristavi defeated Spring Arbor’s Emma Joseph with a score of 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 on Saturday before winning at No. 1 6-2, 6-1 against Kalamazoo College’s Franco on Sunday. After the weekend, she is now 7-9 overall, 5-5 in dual-match play and 2-2 at No. 1 for the Broncos.
 
 
MAC Women’s Tennis Doubles Team of the Week
Paula Comella, Bowling Green – Junior, Ciutadella de Menorca, Spain (les Cteib)
Marharita-Sophia Tavpash, Bowling Green – Sophomore, Lviv, Ukraine (Lviv Linguistic Gymnasium)
 
Bowling Green junior Paula Comella and sophomore Marharita-Sophia Tavpash picked up two wins at No. 1 singles this past weekend when it downed both of its opponents at Notre Dame and Detroit. The duo first earned a 6-3 win at the No. 1 slot against the Fighting Irish, earning the lone doubles victory for the Falcons on the day. The pairing continued its hot streak at Detroit when it earned a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles, to begin a two-match win streak. Comella/Tavpash helped the Falcons earn the doubles point and eventual shutout of Detroit, and now improve to a 6-3 record on the season at the top of doubles competition.
 
Additional Women’s Doubles Nominees:
Rita Pedroso, Akron – Sophomore, Porto, Portugal (Escola Secundaria)
Anna Uljanov, Akron – Freshman, Schweinfurt, Germany (Olympia Morata Gymnasium)
 
Akron sophomore Rita Pedroso and freshman Anna Uljanov captured two road wins at the No. 1 position. At No. 35 Kansas State, the Zips’ duo knocked off KSU’s No. 1 team of Carolina Costamagna and Margot Decker, 6-3.  Decker is nationally ranked at No. 104. At Missouri-Kansas City, Pedroso and Uljanov defeated Melinda Johnson and Yana Grechkina, 7-6 (4), helping Akron claim the doubles’ point. This spring Pedroso and Uljanov are 2-1 at the No. 1 doubles position for the Zips.
 
Priyana Kalita, Miami – Freshman, Assam, India
Anastasiia Vasiukhina, Miami – Senior, Moscow, Russia
 
Miami freshman Priyana Kalita and senior Anastasiia Vasiukhina went 2-0 at second doubles last week.  On Friday, Feb. 23, the duo defeated ETSU's Ma/Esguerra 6-3 and on Saturday, Feb. 24, they defeated WKU's Malamou/De Ugarte 6-4.
 
Denise Azcui, Western Michigan – Junior, Bloomington, Ind. (Bloomington South High School)
Gabriela Slavova, Western Michigan – Sophomore, Sofia, Bulgaria (Vasil Levski)
 
Western Michigan junior Denise Azcui and sophomore Gabriela Slavova went 2-0 last weekend to help the Broncos improve their winning streak to five and are now 7-4 overall this spring. The two easily defeated their opponents, giving up just one point after defeating Weener/Dykema of Spring Arbor (6-0) and Oswalt/Johnston of Kalamazoo College (6-1).