BGSU Tennis: Falcons blank Chicago State for third consecutive w - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

BGSU Tennis: Falcons blank Chicago State for third consecutive win

CHICAGO - The Bowling Green State University tennis team won all six singles matches in straight sets, capping off a 7-0 sweep of host Chicago State University. The match was held at the Homewood-Flossmoor Racquet Club.

With the win, the Falcons are now 3-1 in dual-match play on the young season. BGSU has won three consecutive matches after a loss to No. 19 Notre Dame last weekend. The Cougars dropped to 0-3 on the year.

All eight team members picked up at least one win on Sunday, with senior Jade Johnson, juniors Nikki Chiricosta and Emily Reuland and freshman Katie Brozovich all winning at both singles and doubles.

Doubles play saw BGSU lose a total of just five games while winning the requisite 24. The closest match was at the top flight, while Reuland teamed with senior co-captain Maddy Eccleston for an 8-3 win over Karyn Emeralda and Marnie Perez-Ochoa.

At each of the other two flights, the Falcons rolled along to 8-1 wins. The Falcons' second-flight duo of Chiricosta and Johnson downed CSU's Carynne Lloyd and Viviene Noel, while Brozovich combined with fellow freshman Drew Fillis for a convincing victory over Ruta Grinvalde and Sabrine Navarro at flight number three.

In singles play, it was more of the same, as the Brown and Orange captured six matches in the minimum 12 sets. Reuland and Emeralda battled through the closest match, score-wise, at the top flight. The BG junior outlasted Emeralda, 7-5, in the opening set, before closing out the victory with a 6-3 decision in the second set.

Two Falcons, Brozovich and Chiricosta, lost just one total game, while senior co-captain Mary Hill dropped just two. Chiricosta swept Lloyd in flight-two action, capping off the win with a 6-0 second set. Brozovich won her opening set by a 6-0 count against Grinvalde, and the BG freshman lost only one game in the second set. Hill defeated Perez-Ochoa in third-flight action by a pair of identical 6-1 scores.

Johnson lost only three total games, all in the opening set, in her sixth-flight victory over Navarro. Senior Katie Grubb also posted a straight-sets win, defeating Noel at the fourth flight.

The win over CSU came less than 24 hours after the Falcons defeated Drake, 6-1. On the weekend, Chiricosta and Reuland each had four wins without a loss, while four of their teammates -- Brozovich, Eccleston, Grubb and Johnson -- each went 3-0. Hill had a 2-1 record over the two days, while Fillis won her lone match.

Eccleston now has 82 doubles wins in her career, good for third place on the BGSU career list. She is just seven wins away from tying the school record, held by Christine Chiricosta (2008-11).

Johnson's two wins on Sunday give her a total of 87 combined career wins at BGSU. She is now tied for 30th on that school list. In fact, no fewer than six current Falcons -- every one of the team's non-freshmen -- are ranked among the top 30 on that BG career chart.

BGSU now returns home for a lengthy stay. The Brown and Orange will play the next seven matches in Northwest Ohio, beginning with a pair of duals next weekend. BG will face Youngstown State on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 2) at 2:30 p.m., before taking on Evansville on Sunday (Feb. 3) at 9:30 a.m. Both matches will be held at the Perrysburg Tennis Center.