Women's Tennis Singles Player of the Week
Cassie Alcala, Toledo
Fr., Pickerington, Ohio
Toledo standout freshman Cassie Alcala won both of her singles matches over the weekend, helping the Rockets defeat Northern Illinois on the road and Miami at home. Alcala started off by winning her singles match against NIU's Maria Potsi on Friday (6-3, 4-6, 10-7) before defeating the reigning MAC Player of the Year Brindtha Ramasamy from Miami on Sunday (6-4, 6-2). Alcala is now 16-3 in singles play, 14-3 when playing on the top court, and she has won her last eight matches.
Women's Tennis Doubles Team of the Week
Vasavi Ganesan, Eastern Michigan, Redshirt Junior, Tamil Nadu, India
Isabelle Popma, Eastern Michigan, Redshirt Freshman, Staphorst, Netherlands
The No. 1 doubles pair for Eastern Michigan went 2-0 this weekend against Ball State and Grace College , April 16. The pairing bested their Cardinal opposition 6-2, and followed with a dominant matchup against two Lancers, winning 6-0. The duo earned their 10th win of the season together.
Other Nominees
Luisa Pelayo, Eastern Michigan
Redshirt junior, Porto, Portugal
Luisa Pelayo had a 2-0 weekend in singles, defeating individuals from Ball State, April 16, and Northern Illinois, April 18. Pelayo won 6-2, 6-4, against her Cardinal adversary at No. 3. Staying in the three slot, the redshirt junior downed her Huskie opponent, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, gaining her 14th win of the season.
Fernanda Naves, Northern Illinois University
Jr., Veracruz, Mexico
Fernanda Naves played an integral role in NIU's win over Eastern Michigan Sunday. Naves' first Mid-American Conference victory of the season came at a most opportune time as the Huskie junior scored a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Julia Piatek to clinch NIU's 4-3 win over Eastern Michigan. In addition to her singles' play, Naves stepped up in doubles action as well Teamed with Lara Slisko, the Huskie duo scored a 6-2 win over Grace Whitney / Luisa Pelayo at No. 2 doubles and help the Huskies take the doubles point as well.
Selina Karg, Bowling Green
Freshman, Augsburg, Germany
Bowling Green freshman Selina Karg went 2-0 on the weekend at No. 5 singles for the Falcons as Bowling Green registered wins over Buffalo and Western Michigan by scores of 4-3 and 5-2, respectively. Karg began the weekend against Buffalo (April 16) with scores of 6-4 and 6-2 tallying the third point of the day for Bowling Green in a close 4-3 final. As for Sunday (April 18) against Western Michigan, Karg allowed her opponent just one point over the course of the entire day with 6-1 and 6-0 scores, claiming the first singles point of the day en route to the 5-2 finish.
Laura Morera, Toledo, Sophomore, Valencia, Spain
Patricia Panta, Toledo, Senior, Lima, Peru
Toledo's doubles tandem of Laura Morera and Patricia Panta went 2-0 last weekend and helped the Rockets earn victories at Northern Illinois and at home against Miami. Morera and Panta were victorious on Friday at NIU against Lara Slisko and Christy Robinson, 6-3, and defeated Miami's Makenzie Myers and Melati Devi by an identical score on Sunday. Both wins came on the No. 2 court.
Fernanda Naves, Northern Illinois University, Junior, Veracruz, Mexico
Lara Slisko, Northern Illinois University, Senior, Melbourne, Australia
Fernanda Naves and Lara Slisko were key in NIU's win over Eastern Michigan Sunday. The Huskies' No. 2 doubles team scored a 6-2 win over Grace Whitney / Luisa Pelayo to help the Huskies secure the doubles point and the 4-3 win over the Eagles. Naves came back later in the day to post a straight set win at No. 5 singles to clinch the match for NIU.
Victoria Sec, Ball State, Senior, New York, New York
Livia Lukacs, Ball State, Junior, Pecs, Hungary
The Ball State dynamic duo of Livia Lukacs and Victoria Sec went 2-0 this weekend in doubles play to help Ball State move past Eastern Michigan and Buffalo by a score of 4-3. Lukacs and Sec opened the weekend on court three by taking a 6-2 decision over the Eagles Julia Piatek and Morgan Ingram. On Sunday, the twosome moved up a spot to court two to register a 6-3 defeat against Buffalo’s Lolina Sedas and Azra Comlek, claiming the doubles point for Ball State. With the wins, Lukacs and Sec helped Ball State win its 19-straight victory while remaining undefeated in MAC action with an unblemished 10-0 ledger.
Selina Karg, Bowling Green, Freshman, Augsburg, Germany
Hannah Neuman, Bowling Green, Freshman, Naperville, Ill.
The Bowling Green freshman doubles duo of Selina Karg and Hannah Neuman went 2-0 on the weekend, helping the Falcons claim both doubles points and go 2-0 with wins over Buffalo and Western Michigan. Against Buffalo on Friday (April 16), the pair tallied a 6-0 victory to get the Falcons started in doubles play, later winning the point in a crucial 4-3 final. As for Sunday (April 18) against Western Michigan the two won 6-3, again being the first of the two doubles wins for Bowling Green to kickstart a 5-2 win.
