Rockets Sweep Weekend with Win Over Western Michigan

Sunday, April 15

Toledo, Ohio

1:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

Western Michigan

Junior Claire Aleck went 6-0, 7-5 in No. 5 singles to clinch Toledo's 4-3 win over Western Michigan on Sunday, April 15.

Photo by: Will Edmonds

Rockets Sweep Weekend with Win Over Western Michigan

4/15/2018 8:24:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Toledo, Ohio - The Toledo women's tennis team (15-5, 5-2 MAC) won 4-3 over Western Michigan (11-11, 2-4 MAC) today to sweep the weekend and extend the Rockets' winning streak to five matches. The Rockets' victory is only the second time in program history that Toledo's beaten Western Michigan. UT also clinched the third seed in the Mid-American Conference tournament with today's win.

"This was a gritty win for us," head coach Tracy Mauntler said. "We continue to dominate in doubles and we just scraped out the singles win. We have different players who step up every time we compete."

Today, junior Claire Aleck stepped up for Toledo, clinching the match with a win in No. 5 singles.

The day started with the Rockets sweeping the doubles point. Senior Sidnay Huck and junior Kokoro Chishaki won in the No. 1 match, defeating Barbare Eristavi and Gabriela Slavova 6-2. Senior Megan Miller and junior Thalita Rodrigues clinched the doubles competition for UT with their 6-3 win in No. 3.

UT struggled at the start of singles competition. Chishaki's No. 4 match started with the Kashiwa, Japan native losing her first set but rallying to win the second. Chishaki dropped her third set though, losing with a final line of 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. The next Rocket to finish was Huck in the No. 2 match, who went down in similar fashion. She forced a third set after losing the first and winning the second, but was unable to close the match in her favor, finishing 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

The tides started to turn during senior Colleen O'Brien's No. 3 match. O'Brien swept her opponent 7-6 (5), 6-3, extending her singles match winning streak to five and tying the match 2-2. The Rockets regained the lead thanks to Rodrigues' sweeping victory in No. 6 where she won 6-3, 6-4, putting UT up 3-2. Things were tied up again, though, following sophomore Dee Dee Leenabanchong losing 2-6, 6-6, 6-2 in the No. 1 match.

The match came down to Aleck. Set up against the Broncos' Gabriela Slavova, Aleck opened with a perfect 6-0 sweep in her first set. Slavova battled back in the second but Aleck didn't sway, closing her match with a close 7-5 victory to win the match for Toledo.

The Rockets now turn to their final match of the regular season. Toledo hosts Miami (Ohio) on Sunday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m. A win over the Redhawks would make Toledo the second seed in the MAC tournament.

Toledo 4, Western Michigan 3
Singles competition
1. Barbare Eristavi (WMU) def. Dee Dee Leenabanchong (UT) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
2. Melina Lyubomirova (WMU) def. Sidnay Huck (UT) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
3. Colleen O'Brien (UT) def. Denise Azcui (WMU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
4. Jeryn Jack (WMU) def. Kokoro Chishaki (UT) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
5. Claire Aleck (UT) def. Gabriela Slavova (WMU) 6-0, 7-5
6. Thalita Rodrigues (UT) def. Valentina S. Briend (WMU) 6-3, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Sidnay Huck/Kokoro Chishaki (UT) def. Barbare Eristavi/Gabriela Slavova (WMU) 6-2
2. Colleen O'Brien/Dee Dee Leenabanchong (UT) vs. Melina Lyubomirova/Denise Azcui (WMU) 5-5, unfinished
3. Megan Miller/Thalita Rodrigues (UT) def. Jeryn Jack/Valentina S. Briend (WMU) 6-3