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
Nelli Ponomareva, Miami – Senior, Krasnodar, Russia (Krasnodar School #43)
Miami senior Nelli Ponomareva went 2-0 this week at No. 1 singles, winning both matches in two sets.  On Friday, Feb. 2, she defeated Cincinnati's Iona Guna 6-3, 7-5 at number one singles and on Sunday, Feb. 4, she defeated Xavier's Ahmeir Kyle 7-6, 6-2, again at number one.
 
Additional Women’s Singles Nominees:
Miruna Vasilescu, Akron – Freshman, Ulm, Germany (Friedrichs)
Akron freshman Miruna Vasilescu has opened spring play with a perfect 6-0 mark in singles action.  At No. 3 singles in the win over Utah State, Vasilescu defeated Hannah Jones in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0. On Sunday against Michigan State, Vasilescu moved up to No. 2 singles, and remained unbeaten with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 win over Habiba Shaker. After three weeks of spring play, Vasilescu is 6-0 in singles action.
 
Chantal Martinez Blanco, Buffalo – Junior, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Buffalo junior Chantal Martinez Blanco won her opening match this spring in straight sets as she played number one singles and came away with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Gabriella Bowe of St. Bonaventure.  Martinez Blanco helped Buffalo to a clean 7-0 sweep of St. Bonaventure as all six singles matches were won in straight sets.
 
Ani Gogvadze, Eastern Michigan – Senior, Tbilisi, Georgia (Khikhani)
Eastern Michigan senior Ani Gogvadze went 1-0 on the weekend in three matches at No. 1 singles. Gogvadze came away with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over South Dakota, while leading in her matches against Colorado State, 7-6, 5-1, and Nebraska, 6-1, 0-3 when the match was decided. She also teamed with fellow senior Andrea Martinovska at No. 2 doubles to win over South Dakota and gave Eastern Michigan its lone victory of the weekend 4-3.
 
Thisuri Molligoda, Northern Illinois – Freshman, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Northern Illinois freshman Thisuri Molligoda improved to 3-2 on the season after posting a pair of wins at No. 1 singles this past weekend. She opened the weekend with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Labina Petrovska of Milwaukee on Friday to help the Huskies pick up their first win of the season. The Huskies went on to defeat the Panthers, 6-1. She then posted a straight set victory over Lara Tupper of SIUE on Sunday, 6-2, 6-0, to help the Huskies to a 7-0 win over the Cougars and a 2-0 record on the weekend.
 
Melina Lyubomirova, Western Michigan – Junior, Sofia, Bulgaria (Emilian Staneu)
Western Michigan junior Melina Lyubomirova had a huge day on Saturday for the Broncos, going 2-0 at No. 1 without dropping a set to improve to 7-9 this season, 4-4 in the spring and 3-2 at the top of the lineup. Lyubomirova defeated IUPUI’s Valeriia Lavrenchuk 6-2, 6-4 to start the day off before defeating Katie Bell (6-4, 6-1) from Hillsdale College to clinch the first singles point for Western Michigan. The Bulgarian has played a big role for Western Michigan this season as the team improved to 4-4 overall.

 
MAC Women’s Tennis Doubles Team of the Week
Ani Gogvadze, Eastern Michigan – Senior, Tbilisi, Georgia (Khikhani)
Andrea Martinovska, Eastern Michigan – Senior, Plzn, Czech Republic
 
Eastern Michigan senior Ani Gogvadze and senior Andrea Martinovska at No. 2 doubles helped secure the doubles' point for the Eagles win over South Dakota with a convincing 6-2 victory and proceeded to go unfinished in each of the other two matches. Against Colorado State, the pair was leading 4-3 when the point was decided, while the duo trailed 4-3 to Nebraska when the match moved to singles.
 
Additional Women’s Doubles Nominees:
Luisa Echeverry, Akron – Junior, Cali, Colombia (Liceo Benalcazar)
Miruna Vasilescu, Akron – Freshman, Ulm, Germany (Friedrichs)
 
Akron junior Luisa Echeverry and freshman Miruna Vasilescu claimed another win this week.  At the No. 1 position, the Zips beat Utah State’s Alexandra Taylor and Sophia Haleas, 6-2, en route to the team’s 5-2 win. After three weeks of spring action, Echeverry and Vasilescu are 4-0 in doubles action.
 
Chantal Martinez Blanco, Buffalo – Junior, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Lolade Ogungbesan, Buffalo – Senior, London, England (ACS Cobham)
 
Buffalo junior Chantal Martinez Blanco and senior Lolade Ogungbesan at No. 1 doubles won their opening match of the season 6-2 against St. Bonaventure’s team of Gabriella Bowe and Kahlei Reisinger.  The victory help Buffalo to a clean sweep of doubles and a 7-0 win overall against the Bonnies on Friday.
 
Anastasiia Vasiukhina, Miami – Senior, Moscow, Russia (Moscow School #1338)
Nelli Ponomareva, Miami – Senior, Krasnodar, Russia (Krasnodar School #43)
 
Miami senior Anastassia Vasiukhina and senior Nelli Ponomareva  went 2-0 this week at No. 1 doubles.  On Friday, Feb. 2, the duo defeated Cincinnati's Iona Guna/Caroline Morton 7-6 and on Sunday, Feb. 4, they defeated Xavier's Lauren Ghidotti/Sophia Abelson 7-5.
 
Evelyn Youel, Northern Illinois – Senior, Crystal Lake, Ill. (Crystal Lake Central High School)
Thisuri Molligoda, Northern Illinois – Freshman, Colombo, Sri Lanka
 
Northern Illinois senior Evelyn Youel and freshman Thisuri Molligoda helped lead NIU to a 2-0 record on the weekend with a pair of wins at No. 1 doubles. The pair were tested in the first match of the weekend, but went on to defeat Milwaukee’s Labina Pertrovska and Daniel Fuentes, 6-4. NIU posted a 6-1 decision over the Panthers for their first victory of the season. The Huskie duo completed their perfect weekend with a 6-3 win over Ann-Christine Link and Lara Tupper, helping NIU win the doubles point and the match, 7-0.
 
Barbare Eristavi, Western Michigan – Senior, Tbilisi, Georgia (GAU)
Valeria Riegraf, Western Michigan – Freshman, Grobensee, Germany
 
Western Michigan senior Barbare Eristavi and freshman Valeria Riegraf started off 2-0 together this season with two big wins on Saturday. The pair earned a 6-0 win at No. 3 to get Western Michigan started against IUPUI before defeating Hillsdale College’s Katie Bell and Corinne Post (6-4) at No. 1 to clinch the doubles point.  The Brown and Gold improved to 4-4 this season and are winners of two straight.