Mid-American Conference

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYER AND DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK
 
MAC Women’s Tennis Singles Player of the Week
Brindtha Ramasamy, Miami – Freshman, Toronto, Ontario
Miami freshman Brindtha Ramasamy at No. 1 singles continued her stellar season with a 2-0 week. Earlier in the season Ramasamy became only the third RedHawk all-time to reach the ITA national singles rankings. On Friday, she defeated Ball State's Audrey Berger 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to clinch the 4-3 win for Miami. Sunday's match against Northern Illinois saw her defeat Maria Potsi 6-1, 6-3 as the RedHawks won 6-1. Ramasamy now sits 10-3 on the year at first singles.
 
Additional Women’s Singles Nominees:
Sophia Geier, Akron – Senior, Burgebrach, Germany (Clavius Gymnasium)
Akron senior Sophia Geier at No. 1 singles went 1-0 on the road. The senior captain beat Toledo’s Deedee Leenabanchong in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, for her 15th win this spring and the 100th victory of her collegiate career. Overall, Geier stands 23-4 in singles action and 15-1 in spring action, 3-0 in MAC play, all at the No. 1 spot. Geier is pursuing her MBA.
 
Peyton Gollhofer, Ball State – Senior, Cartersville, Ga. (Laurel Springs Academy)
Ball State senior Peyton Gollhofer at No. 2 and No. 3 singles remained undefeated in MAC dual action last weekend after posting singles victories against Miami and Bowling Green. Gollhofer began the week with a three-set thriller over the RedHawks’ Emily Struble. Gollhofer took down Struble in the first frame 6-3 on court three and then dropped the second set. She came back in the third for win the match 6-1. Gollhofer then closed with a victory at the No. 2 position Sunday against Bowling Green. Gollhofer registered a straight set defeat over Marharita Tavpash, 6-2, 7-5 to give Ball State a 2-0 edge. Gollhofer also won her doubles match alongside partner Isabelle Dohanics, helping Ball State to a 5-2 victory over BGSU. For the season, Gollhofer owns a 13-1 overall dual mark and a 4-0 ledger in MAC play.
 
Marta Bettinelli, Bowling Green – Sophomore, Milan, Italy (Liceo Scientifico Leonardo Da Vinci)
Bowling Green sophomore Marta Bettinelli at No. 5 singles concluded the weekend with a 2-0 record. Bettinelli began the weekend with a victory on Friday against Northern Illinois' Paula Veyhle. After taking the first set 6-4, Bettinelli used her momentum to capture the second set 6-2, helping BGSU to a 6-1 win. That momentum carried into Sunday's match with Ball State against Lilya Hadab. After falling in the first set 6-3, Bettinelli fought back in the second set, winning 7-6 [4], including clinching the match with a 6-4 third set win. The win was Bettinelli's second consecutive of the weekend and one of two points for the Falcons in their 5-2 loss to the Cardinals.
 
Pia Schwarz, Buffalo – Freshman, Singen, Germany (Friedrich Woehler Gymnasium)
Buffalo freshman Pia Schwarz at No. 3 singles in a 5-2 win over Western Michigan’s Katja Fevralev.  After falling in the first set 6-3, Schwarz came back and won the second set 6-2 and claimed the third and deciding set 6-3.  The win was the 16th on the season for Schwarz, tying for the team lead.
 
Kokoro Chishaki, Toledo – Senior, Kashiwa, Japan (Sonoda Gakuen)
Toledo senior Kokoro Chishaki at No. 3 singles defeated Akron’s Anna Uljanov in a 4-3 victory on Saturday. After dropping the first set 3-6, Chishaki bounced back to take the second, 6-0, to force a third set. Chishaki took the third set, 6-1, putting the Rockets up 3-2 over the Zips. Chishaki has clinched three three-set victories during dual match play this season. Chishaki is a sports management major.
 
Melina Lyubomirova, Western Michigan – Senior, Sofia, Bulgaria (Emilian Staneu)
Western Michigan senior co-captain Melina Lyubomirova at No. 1 singles defeated Buffalo's Chantal Martinez Blanco 6-4, 6-2 during a 5-2 loss against the Bulls on Friday while her record improved to 9-6 at the No. 1 spot for the Broncos. 
 
 
MAC Women’s Tennis Doubles Team of the Week
Brindtha Ramasamy, Miami – Freshman, Toronto, Ontario
Milana Lysova, Miami – Sophomore, Almaty, Kazakhstan
 
Miami freshman Brindtha Ramasamy and sophomore Milana Lysova at No. 1 doubles combined to go 2-0 on the weekend as the RedHawks improved their MAC record to 3-1 with two conference victories. On Friday, Ramasamy and Lysova defeated Ball State's Berger/Herrington 6-3. On Sunday, they took down Northern Illinois' Potsi/Slisko 6-4.
 
Additional Women’s Doubles Team Nominees:
Rita Pedroso, Akron – Junior, Porto, Portugal (Escola Secundaria Garcia de Orta)
Miruna Vasilescu, Akron – Sophomore, Ulm, Germany (Friedrich-List Schule Ulm)
 
Akron junior Rita Pedroso and sophomore Miruna Vasilescu at No. 1 doubles earned their first win in MAC road play. At Toledo, the duo defeated Deedee Leenabanchong and Kokoro Chishaki at the No. 1 position, 6-2. Overall, Pedroso and Vasilescu stand 18-8 doubles action and 12-6 this spring. Pedrosa is an international business major, while Vasilescu is a human resource management major.
 
Chantal Martinez Blanco, Buffalo – Senior, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Nikoleta Antoniou-Karademitrou, Buffalo – Freshman, Volos, Greece (4th General Lycium of Volos)
 
Buffalo senior Chantal Martinez Blanco and freshman Nikoleta Antoniou-Karademitrou at No. 1 doubles won their lone match of the week as Buffalo defeated Western Michigan 5-2 in Kalamazoo on Friday.  Buffalo’s pair defeated Katja Fevralev and Kristinia Tirapolsky, 6-4.  They improved to 13-3 at first doubles and 18-5 overall.
 
Claire Aleck, Toledo – Senior, Ada, Mich. (Forest Hills Northern High School)
Eileen Carney, Toledo – Freshman, Joliet, Ill. (Joliet High School)
 
Toledo senior Claire Aleck and freshman Eileen Carney at No. 3 doubles clinched the doubles point in a 4-3 victory over Akron on Saturday. Aleck/Carney fought in a tight, back-and-forth battle with Luisa Echeverry/Carla Flores on the No. 3 court and came out with the 7-5 win to put the Rockets at a 1-0 advantage going into singles play. Aleck is an exercise science major, while Carney is a biochemistry major.
 
Melina Lyubomirova, Western Michigan – Senior, Sofia, Bulgaria (Emilian Staneu)
Femke Tjon-A-Joe, Western Michigan – Freshman, Corpus Christi (Flour Bluff HS)
 
Western Michigan senior Melina Lyubomirova and freshman Femke Tjon-A-Joe at No. 2 doubles improved to 12-3 on the season with their fourth-straight doubles win, a 6-4 victory at the No. 2 doubles spot over Buffalo's Pia Schwarz & Arianna Paules Aldrey during a 5-2 loss to the Bulls.