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Western Michigan University
Women’s Tennis Posts 6-1 Win over Western Michigan in MAC Opener
March 16, 2025 | Women's Tennis
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State women's tennis christened the 2025 Mid-American Conference campaign with a victory Sunday afternoon at the Ball State Tennis Facility. The Cardinals (7-4, 1-0 MAC) soared to a 6-1 win against Western Michigan (9-7, 0-1 MAC), marking the fifth-consecutive season in which the red and white have opened league play with an addition to the win column.
The Cardinals' win also avenges a pair of tightly contested losses (3-4 and 2-5) to the Broncos last season.
The Sunday MACtion opened with a doubles point that required all three matches to conclude for the doubles point to be awarded. Ball State's No. 2 doubles pairing of Isabel Tanjuatco and Sarah Shabaz were the first off court as the tandem posted a 6-1 victory. Tanjuatco and Shabaz have now won four of their past five matches at the second doubles spot.
Western Michigan answered Ball State's charge by securing a win at No. 3, making the No. 1 position the decisive court. The Cardinals' top pairing of Alana Bristow and Chloe Brown battled to a tiebreaker, and despite an early deficit in the race to seven, they prevailed and earned the red and white the doubles point.
After a strong showing in doubles, Shabaz maintained her momentum in singles play. The Minnesota native cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 victory at the No. 3 slot and was off the court in less than an hour, boosting the Cardinals' lead to 2-0.
Not far behind Shabaz was Elena Malykh on court one. Malykh earned a 6-1, 6-2 win, her most decisive victory this season atop Ball State's singles lineup, and put the Cardinals just a point away from a team win.
Bristow later earned the fourth and decisive point at No. 6 singles for Ball State to secure the conference-opening victory. After the match had been decided in the Cardinals' favor, Jemima Williams-Phillips and Brown each collected comeback, three-set victories on courts two and four, respectively, to cap off the 6-1 victory.
Western Michigan earned its sole singles win at the No. 5 position, where Marielou Baudouin defeated Tanjuatco 6-3, 6-4.
The Cardinals will aim to maintain their unblemished start to league action in their pair of matches next weekend. Ball State is set to host Northern Illinois on Friday, March 21, at 1 p.m., and will travel to Eastern Michigan Sunday, March 23, for a road match beginning at 1 p.m. to conclude the slate.
Doubles
No. 1: Alana Bristow/Chloe Brown (Ball State) def. Lola Glantz/Audrey Smitek (Western Michigan), 7-6
No. 2: Sarah Shabaz/Isabel Tanjuatco (Ball State) def. Polina Khotko/Frida Weijerman (Western Michigan), 6-1
No. 3: Christine Gouws/Marielou Baudouin (Western Michigan) def. Ella Hazelbaker/Elena Malykh (Ball State), 6-4
Singles
No. 1: Elena Malykh (Ball State) def. Lola Glantz (Western Michigan), 6-1, 6-2
No. 2: Jemima Williams-Phillips (Ball State) def. Christine Gouws (Western Michigan), 4-6, 6-3, 1-0(5)
No. 3: Sarah Shabaz (Ball State) def. Polina Khotko (Western Michigan), 6-0, 6-1
No. 4: Chloe Brown (Ball State) def. Frida Weijerman (Western Michigan), 3-6, 6-2, 1-0(2)
No. 5: Marielou Baudouin (Western Michigan) def. Isabel Tanjuatco (Ball State), 6-2, 6-4
No. 6: Alana Bristow (Ball State) def. Audrey Smitek (Western Michigan), 6-1, 7-6(2)
Players Mentioned
