Michigan State doubles partners freshman Amara Brahmbhatt and junior Matilde Morais celebrate a point during their match against Washington at the MSU Tennis Center on Apr. 12, 2025.
Coming into the last two home games of the season, the Michigan State women's tennis team had a loss to the now 8-12 Indiana Hoosiers. Now, the Spartans would be playing against the No. 17-ranked Washington Huskies and the Oregon Ducks.
The Spartans had 12 wins on the season and were looking for their 13th and 14th to secure an above-.500 record for the first time since the 2019-2020 season, when they finished 8-5 overall before the campaign was cut short due to the pandemic.
In the match against Washington, MSU competed in several tight contests but ultimately fell short. The Huskies claimed the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead. Washington's No. 48-ranked doubles pairing of Reece Carter and Alexia Jacobs led the way with a 6-1 win over MSU’s duo of freshman Ellie Blackford and senior Liisa Vehvilainen.
Heading into singles play, the Spartans faced an uphill battle as Washington kept the pressure on and clinched the next three singles matches to secure the win.
“We had opportunities, and you know we got played in some of those moments” said MSU women's tennis head coach Kim Bruno. “But I'm so proud of my girls and how they competed and put their best foot forward and it felt like today that we got beat.”
Looking to bounce back against Oregon, the Spartans would play every game down to the wire.
In doubles, Michigan State dropped the first match 6-0 but bounced back to win the second 6-3. Ultimately, Oregon claimed the point with a 6-3 win in the decisive match.
With Oregon up 1-0 heading into singles, the match had shades of the previous day. But MSU refused to let its final home contest end in another defeat.
Freshman Amara Brahmbhatt and redshirt sophomore Oriana Parkins-Godwin claimed the first two singles points with 6-2, 6-3 and 6-3, 6-2 wins, respectively. Oregon responded with a victory from freshman Patsy Daughters, who defeated junior Matilde Morais to even the score at 2-2. Two more matches split, tying things at 3-3.
“What a better way to end Lisa's home court career is right here, and doing what she's been doing all season, stepping up big time for us,” said Bruno. “I couldn't be happier you know, leave it to your senior, and I wouldn't have wanted anyone else out there at that time.”
An emotional Vehvilainen couldn’t believe she had clinched the win in her final home match.
“I did not think that I would be the clincher today by any means,” said Vehvilainen. “We took a lot of the first sets quite easily, but then, things started to shift around on my court and a few other courts as well. And at some point, I guess I realized, like, it's not only that I might go unfinished, like I might have to win this match if I want to win it for the team. And I guess that kind of gave me additional motivation to really, you know, give my all, everything that I can for this last fall, much like I definitely wanted to win it.”
With the split weekend, MSU improves to 13-10 on the season and will play its final regular season match against in-state rival Michigan in Ann Arbor on April 19.
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