KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Western Michigan women's tennis team recorded its first shutout in Mid-American Conference play since the 2011 season on Friday, with the Broncos defeating the Akron Zips 7-0 at West Hills Athletic Club to improve to 12-8 overall and 4-1 against MAC opponents. The 4-1 start in conference play matches the Broncos' effort in the 2013 season, tying their best start to MAC play since the 2009 season.
The 7-0 win over the Zips was the Broncos' first shutout victory over a conference opponent in four years, with the last such result coming on April 22, 2011 on the road against Northern Illinois. WMU improved to 9-3 in MAC doubles action with wins in the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles matches, and the Broncos are now 20-10 in MAC singles play with a perfect slate on Friday afternoon.
The doubles pairing of Barbare Eristavi and Yuriko Ono won their fourth straight match together and eighth in their last 11 matches with a 6-2 victory over the duo of Sophia Geier and Shannon Newnes in the No. 2 doubles slot. Meika Ashby and Caroline Aleck responded just moments later with an identical score of Karolina Maksimova and Martina Zerbola, winning 6-2 in the No. 2 doubles spot to claim the doubles point for their team.
After Madison Cohen withdrew in the first set of the No. 6 singles match to put the Broncos ahead 2-0, Olivia Myers gave WMU a 3-0 lead with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Maksimova in the No. 1 singles slot. Myers' win pushed her record in the No. 1 spot to 4-0 and improved her overall singles record to 20-10, 13-6 in dual match singles. Aleck clinched the team win with a straight-sets victory over Geier, winning 6-3, 6-1 in the No. 5 singles match to make it 4-0.
Meika Ashby evened her singles record on the season with a win over Zerbola in the No. 2 singles match, beating her 6-1, 6-2 to improve to 3-0 in that spot in the line-up, and Barbare Eristavi overcome a full third set against Olga Shkundina for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory in the No. 3 singles spot. Tracy Kuhle closed out the day with a comeback win over Ariadna Blinova in the No. 4 match, winning a third set tiebreaker for a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 1-0 (1) victory.
Western Michigan 7, Akron 0
Singles competition
1. Olivia Myers (WMU) def. Karolina Makismova (AK) 6-3, 6-1
2. Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Martina Zerbola (AK) 6-1, 6-2
3. Barbare Eristavi (WMU) def. Olga Shkundina (AK) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
4. Tracy Kuhle (WMU) def. Ariadna Blinova (AK) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 10-1
5. Caroline Aleck (WMU) def. Sophia Geier (AK) 6-3, 6-1
6. Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Madison Cohen (AK) 6-4, retired
Doubles competition
1. Meika Ashby/Caroline Aleck (WMU) def. Karolina Makismova/Martina Zerbola (AK) 6-2
2. Barbare Eristavi/Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Sophia Geier/Shannon Newnes (AK) 6-2
3. Olivia Myers/Tracy Kuhle (WMU) vs. Maria Bessemertnaya/Madison Cohen (AK) 3-5, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,1,5,2,3,4)
