KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan women's tennis team strengthened its chance at a berth in the Mid-American Conference Tournament after taking down rival Eastern Michigan, XXXXXX, at West Hills Athletic Club on Friday afternoon.
 
The win improved the Broncos to 5-2 in MAC play and 10-0 at home this season.
 
DOUBLES
The Broncos picked up the doubles point in dramatic fashion. WMU took the early advantage after Karin Hamilton and Polina Khotko defeated Andrea Quiroz and Linda Eloundou, 6-2, at No. 2. The Eagles responded with a 6-4 win at No. 3, leaving the point to be decided at No. 1 between WMU's Lindsey Zieglar and Valeriya Monko and EMU's Daniella Shved and Prerna Vichare. Eastern Michigan's duo took an early lead but the Broncos battled back. The teams exchanged sets until it had to be decided in a tie-breaker. Shved and Prerna picked up the first two points but Zieglar and Monko reeled off seven straight to win the match and secure the doubles point.
 
SINGLES
Sophomore Audrey Smitek quickly gave the Broncos a 2-0 lead after a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 6 over Sabina Brichackova. Hamilton then pushed the lead to 3-0 with a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2 over Quiroz before Zieglar secured the match-winning point with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 win over Shved at No. 1.
 
Monko then made it 5-0 after coming back from a loss in the first set, 3-6, to win 7-5, 7-5 over Vichare. WMU's sixth and final point came from Khotko, with a 1-6, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6) win at No. 4 over Ksyusha Saenko.
 
The Broncos now head to Muncie, Ind., to take on Ball State on Sunday at 1 p.m.