April 23, 2010

YSPLIANTI, Mich. -- Miami clinched a share of the Mid-American Conference championship and the No. 1 seed for upcoming conference tournament Friday with a 6-1 victory over Eastern Michigan. The RedHawks, winners of 15 straight league matches, swept doubles play, then won five of six in singles for the victory.

Miami (14-6, 7-0) jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the match. Anastasia Dracheva and Sydnee Bridger cruised to an 8-2 victory at No. 3, before Stephanie Danesis and Megan Martzolf outlasted their opponents at No. 1, 9-7. Riekie Honiball and Cara Wald earned an 8-7 (8-2) victory after the point was decided.

In singles play, the RedHawks took five points from the Eagles. Dracheva was a 6-1, 6-1 winner at No. 1, while Bridger posted a 6-3, 6-0 victory at No. 6. After Eastern Michigan claimed a three-set decision at No. 2, Martzolf won her 20th straight match of the season, 6-2, 7-5 at No. 3. Honiball was a 6-3, 6-1 victor, while Wald finished things off in a third set, 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-5).

Miami wraps up the regular season tomorrow at Toledo and will be looking for its season straight outright championship. The 2009 RedHawks were also undefeated during the conference slate, then swept through the MAC Tournament for their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.

Miami 6, Eastern Michigan 1

Doubles
1. Danesis/Martzolf (MU) def. Breuss/Westerink (EMU) 9-7
2. Honiball/Wald (MU) def. Xu/de'Lisle-Tarr (EMU) 8-7(2)
3. Dracheva/Bridger (MU) def. Rivero/Donnet (EMU) 8-2


Singles
1. Anastasia Dracheva (MU) def. Julia Breuss (EMU) 6-1, 6-1
2. Miriam Westerink (EMU) def. Stephanie Danesis (MU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
3. Megan Martzolf (MU) def. Xu Chang (EMU) 6-2, 7-5
4. Riekie Honiball (MU) def. Georgia de'Lisle-Tarr (EMU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Cara Wald (MU) def. Marcela Rivero (EMU) 6-4, 2-6, (10-5)
6. Sydnee Bridger (MU) def. Celine Donnet (EMU) 6-3, 6-0