Ball State University
Michigan State University
Women’s Tennis Falls to Michigan State to Conclude Weekend of Action
February 23, 2025 | Women's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Ball State women's tennis' weekend excursion to East Lansing, Michigan, came to a close Sunday with a 4-1 loss against Michigan State inside the MSU Indoor Tennis Center. The Cardinals dropped to 3-3 on the season, while the Spartans maintained their flawless home record and advanced to 8-2 in 2025.
Just as Chloe Brown secured a pair of wins in Ball State's tight loss to Youngstown State on Saturday, the Cardinals' lineup featured a two-time winner against Michigan State. Ella Hazelbaker, coming off her first singles win of the spring the match prior, posted a dominant afternoon on the Spartan's green and gray courts. The Upper Arlington, Ohio, native produced a swift 6-0 win at No. 3 doubles with partner Elena Malykh and was the first off the court in singles with a straight-set victory.
Hazelbaker and Malykh led the charge for the Cardinals in a doubles point that needed all three courts to decide a winner. Isabel Tanjuatco and Jemima Williams-Phillips fell 6-1 to Michigan State's Ellie Blackford and Issey Purser at No. 2 doubles, making the top position the decisive court.
Chloe Brown and Alana Bristow, riding a two-match win streak as Ball State's top pairing, rallied from an early deficit in the set to make the score 4-5 leading into a late changeover. The Spartans' duo of Matilde Morais and Hanna Tsitavets prevailed in their home facility, however, and earned their squad a 1-0 lead.
After Hazelbaker evened the overall tally with her 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles, Michigan State countered with straight-set victories at No. 1, 2 and 4 singles to land the decisive blow.
Courts three and four halted play once the Spartans earned their fourth point of the afternoon, but the Cardinals at each of those spots were in the midst of competitive battles. Brown led her opponent 7-6, 4-2 after a spirited performance in the first-set tiebreaker, while Tanjuatco was battling in a third set after rallying from a 6-2 loss in the opening frame.
Ball State will travel to Cincinnati for its next dual match, as the Cardinals are set to take on Xavier on Friday, Feb. 28. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. inside the Eastern Hills Indoor Tennis Club.
Doubles
No. 1: Matilde Morais/Hanna Tsitavets (Michigan State) def. Chloe Brown/Alana Bristow (Ball State), 6-4
No. 2: Ellie Blackford/Issey Purser (Michigan State) def. Jemima Williams-Phillips/Isabel Tanjuatco (Ball State), 6-1
No. 3: Elena Malykh/Ella Hazelbaker (Ball State) def. Natalie Stasny/Olivia Kutlova (Michigan State), 6-0
Singles
No. 1: Ellie Blackford (Michigan State) def. Elena Malykh (Ball State), 6-4, 6-0
No. 2: Matilde Morias (Michigan State) def. Jemima Williams-Phillips (Ball State), 6-2, 6-1
No. 3: Chloe Brown (Ball State) vs. Hanna Tsitavets (Michigan State), 7-6, 5-2 (abandoned)
No. 4: Issey Purser (Michigan State) vs. Isabel Tanjuatco (Ball State), 2-6, 6-3, 1-2 (abandoned)
No. 5: Natalie Stasney (Michigan State) def. Alana Bristow (Ball State), 6-4, 7-5
No. 6: Ella Hazelbaker (Ball State) def. Sarah Fazlagic (Michigan State), 6-2, 6-2
Players Mentioned
