Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, October 31
Des Moines, IA
8 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Drake Invitational
Strong Singles Play Highlights Drake Invite Results
11/2/2025 6:41:00 PM | Tennis
Kharadkar (4-0) and Diaz Zayas (3-0) both went undefeated on the weekend
DES MOINES, Iowa (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University tennis team capped its fall season at the Drake Invitational, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, with the Eagles playing well in both singles and doubles matches over three days at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The Eagles, who took on foes from five other schools, saw freshman Pehal Kharadkar lead the way with a perfect 4-0 record in singles while Lara Diaz Zayas was also perfect as she finished 3-0 against her competitors.
Eastern took on competitors from host Drake University, Iowa State University, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of North Dakota, and Northern Iowa University. Players competed in two doubles and one singles match on Oct. 31, two singles matches on Nov. 1, and one each on Nov. 2.
NOTING SINGLES PLAY
» Kharadkar (Indore, India/Daly College Indore) went 4-0 in singles action as she won all four matches in straight sets and didn't surrender more than five total points in any of her four matches as she posted three wins over foes from Omaha and one against Iowa State, a member of the Big 12.
» Like Kharadkar, Diaz Zayas (Mar de Ajo, Argentina/SEADEA) was perfect in singles as she went 3-0 with one win each over foes from North Dakota, Northern Iowa, and Omaha. After winning her first two matches in straight sets, she battled back from a second-set loss in her match with Khayli Buckels (Omaha) to win, 10-7, in the tie breaker to stay perfect on the weekend.
» Diaz Zayas entered the weekend having had dropped her first six matches of the season before running off three consecutive wins. Kharadkar, who won her collegiate debut at the Block E Invitational, had lost her last five consecutive matches before running off four in a row to level her season record at 5-5.
» Three other Eagles competed in singles, including Regina Mendez Carreño (Los Cabos, Mexico/Picacho McGregor), who was 1-2; Matilde Parreira (Leiria, Portugal/Escola Secundária Afonso Lopes), who was 1-3; and Sabrina Tolstova (Odesa, Ukraine/Tennisquick Los Cristianos), who was 0-4.
» The win for Mendez Carreno made it three consecutive fall events in which she won at least one match after going 0-2 at the season-opening Block E Invitational. Her win in Iowa came in straight sets while her first loss was a three-set battle.
» The win for Parreira is the sixth of the season, which continues to lead the team.
NOTING DOUBLES PLAY
» The team of Parreira and Tolstova captured the lone doubles win of the weekend for the Eagles with a 6-4 decision over the UNI duo of Yangjiaxin Li and Andjela Raznatovic, 6-4.
» Parreira and Tolstova have now paired in all five fall events and have posted at least one victory in four of the five events played.
» Diaz Zayas and Mendez Carreno also competed together, marking the first time they were paired together in 2025. The duo was 0-3 on the weekend with their first two matches ending in close 6-4 decisions.
The Eagles return to action next year when they open the spring dual portion of their schedule. The opening match will see Eastern play host to Cleveland State University in a 1 p.m. contest, Jan. 17, at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti where admission is free. EMU also will play a road doubleheader two days later (Jan. 19) when the Eagles venture to Big Rapids to take on Ferris State University. The start times for both matches with the Bulldogs will be announced in January.
2025 DRAKE INVITATIONAL
Eastern Michigan Results • Singles
Lara Diaz Zayas • 3-0
Oct. 31 • Diaz Zayas def. Ethel Li (North Dakota), 6-3, 6-3
Nov. 1 • Diaz Zayas def. Yangjiaxin Li (Northern Iowa), 6-2, 6-3
Nov. 1 • Diaz Zayas def. Khayli Buckels (Omaha), 6-2, 4-6, 10-7
Pehal Kharadkar • 4-0
Oct. 31 • Kharadkar def. Jacqueline Pearsall (Omaha), 6-2, 6-3
Nov. 1 • Kharadkar def. Corinne Barber (Omaha), 6-1, 6-2
Nov. 1 • Kharadkar def. Summer Shannon (Omaha), 6-0, 6-1
Nov. 2 • Kharadkar def. Kira Smith (Iowa State), 6-4, 6-1
Regina Mendez Carreno • 1-2
Oct. 31 • Mendez Carreno def. Yangjiaxin Li (Northern Iowa), 6-3, 6-4
Nov. 1 • Alva Norberg (North Dakota) def. Mendez Carreno, 3-6, 7-6(6), 10-8
Nov. 1 • Jordan Dookie (Drake) def. Mendez Carreno, 6-0, 7-6(0)
Matilde Parreira • 1-3
Oct. 31 • Jana Ruzic (Drake) def. Parreira, 6-2, 7-5
Nov. 1 • Parreira def. Gabriela Felix (Iowa State), 6-3, 7-5
Nov. 1 • Jule Schulte (North Dakota) def. Parreira, 7-5, 6-4
Nov. 2 • Katelynn Kock (Omaha) def. Parreira, 6-1, 6-1
Sabrina Tolstova • 0-4
Oct. 31 • Katelynn Kock (Omaha) def. Tolstova, 6-1, 6-0
Nov. 1 • Shiori Takeda (Drake) def. Tolstova, 4-6, 6-4, 10-6
Nov. 1 • Alyssa Giupponi (North Dakota) def. Tolstova, 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-8
Nov. 2 • Andejela Taznatovic (Northern Iowa) def. Tolstova, 7-5, 6-2
Eastern Michigan Results • Doubles
Lara Diaz Zayas/Regina Mendez Carreno • 0-3
Oct. 31 • Khayli Buckels/Summer Shannon (Omaha) def. Zayas Diaz/Mendez Carreno, 6-4
Oct. 31 • Ethel Li/Jule Schutte (North Dakota) def. Diaz Zayas/Mendez Carreno, 6-4
Nov. 2 • Gabriella Kellner/Valeska San Martin Ramirez (Iowa State) def. Diaz Zayas/Mendez Carreno, 6-2
Matilde Parreira/Sabrina Tolstova • 1-2
Oct. 31 • Elizasbete Klavinska/Shiori Takeda (Drake) def. Parreira/Tolstova, 7-6(5)
Oct. 31 • Gabriella Kellner/Valeska San Martin Ramirez (Iowa State) def. Parreira/Tolstova, 6-1
Nov. 2 • Parreira/Tolstova def. Yangjiaxin Li/Andjela Raznatovic (Northern Iowa), 6-4
Pehal Kharadkar (EMU)/Kira Smith (Iowa State) • 0-1
Nov. 2 • Jacqueline Pearsall/Shelby Smith (Omaha) def. Kharadkar/Smith (ISU), 6-0
Eastern took on competitors from host Drake University, Iowa State University, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of North Dakota, and Northern Iowa University. Players competed in two doubles and one singles match on Oct. 31, two singles matches on Nov. 1, and one each on Nov. 2.
NOTING SINGLES PLAY
» Kharadkar (Indore, India/Daly College Indore) went 4-0 in singles action as she won all four matches in straight sets and didn't surrender more than five total points in any of her four matches as she posted three wins over foes from Omaha and one against Iowa State, a member of the Big 12.
» Like Kharadkar, Diaz Zayas (Mar de Ajo, Argentina/SEADEA) was perfect in singles as she went 3-0 with one win each over foes from North Dakota, Northern Iowa, and Omaha. After winning her first two matches in straight sets, she battled back from a second-set loss in her match with Khayli Buckels (Omaha) to win, 10-7, in the tie breaker to stay perfect on the weekend.
» Diaz Zayas entered the weekend having had dropped her first six matches of the season before running off three consecutive wins. Kharadkar, who won her collegiate debut at the Block E Invitational, had lost her last five consecutive matches before running off four in a row to level her season record at 5-5.
» Three other Eagles competed in singles, including Regina Mendez Carreño (Los Cabos, Mexico/Picacho McGregor), who was 1-2; Matilde Parreira (Leiria, Portugal/Escola Secundária Afonso Lopes), who was 1-3; and Sabrina Tolstova (Odesa, Ukraine/Tennisquick Los Cristianos), who was 0-4.
» The win for Mendez Carreno made it three consecutive fall events in which she won at least one match after going 0-2 at the season-opening Block E Invitational. Her win in Iowa came in straight sets while her first loss was a three-set battle.
» The win for Parreira is the sixth of the season, which continues to lead the team.
NOTING DOUBLES PLAY
» The team of Parreira and Tolstova captured the lone doubles win of the weekend for the Eagles with a 6-4 decision over the UNI duo of Yangjiaxin Li and Andjela Raznatovic, 6-4.
» Parreira and Tolstova have now paired in all five fall events and have posted at least one victory in four of the five events played.
» Diaz Zayas and Mendez Carreno also competed together, marking the first time they were paired together in 2025. The duo was 0-3 on the weekend with their first two matches ending in close 6-4 decisions.
The Eagles return to action next year when they open the spring dual portion of their schedule. The opening match will see Eastern play host to Cleveland State University in a 1 p.m. contest, Jan. 17, at the Chippewa Club in Ypsilanti where admission is free. EMU also will play a road doubleheader two days later (Jan. 19) when the Eagles venture to Big Rapids to take on Ferris State University. The start times for both matches with the Bulldogs will be announced in January.
2025 DRAKE INVITATIONAL
Eastern Michigan Results • Singles
Lara Diaz Zayas • 3-0
Oct. 31 • Diaz Zayas def. Ethel Li (North Dakota), 6-3, 6-3
Nov. 1 • Diaz Zayas def. Yangjiaxin Li (Northern Iowa), 6-2, 6-3
Nov. 1 • Diaz Zayas def. Khayli Buckels (Omaha), 6-2, 4-6, 10-7
Pehal Kharadkar • 4-0
Oct. 31 • Kharadkar def. Jacqueline Pearsall (Omaha), 6-2, 6-3
Nov. 1 • Kharadkar def. Corinne Barber (Omaha), 6-1, 6-2
Nov. 1 • Kharadkar def. Summer Shannon (Omaha), 6-0, 6-1
Nov. 2 • Kharadkar def. Kira Smith (Iowa State), 6-4, 6-1
Regina Mendez Carreno • 1-2
Oct. 31 • Mendez Carreno def. Yangjiaxin Li (Northern Iowa), 6-3, 6-4
Nov. 1 • Alva Norberg (North Dakota) def. Mendez Carreno, 3-6, 7-6(6), 10-8
Nov. 1 • Jordan Dookie (Drake) def. Mendez Carreno, 6-0, 7-6(0)
Matilde Parreira • 1-3
Oct. 31 • Jana Ruzic (Drake) def. Parreira, 6-2, 7-5
Nov. 1 • Parreira def. Gabriela Felix (Iowa State), 6-3, 7-5
Nov. 1 • Jule Schulte (North Dakota) def. Parreira, 7-5, 6-4
Nov. 2 • Katelynn Kock (Omaha) def. Parreira, 6-1, 6-1
Sabrina Tolstova • 0-4
Oct. 31 • Katelynn Kock (Omaha) def. Tolstova, 6-1, 6-0
Nov. 1 • Shiori Takeda (Drake) def. Tolstova, 4-6, 6-4, 10-6
Nov. 1 • Alyssa Giupponi (North Dakota) def. Tolstova, 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-8
Nov. 2 • Andejela Taznatovic (Northern Iowa) def. Tolstova, 7-5, 6-2
Eastern Michigan Results • Doubles
Lara Diaz Zayas/Regina Mendez Carreno • 0-3
Oct. 31 • Khayli Buckels/Summer Shannon (Omaha) def. Zayas Diaz/Mendez Carreno, 6-4
Oct. 31 • Ethel Li/Jule Schutte (North Dakota) def. Diaz Zayas/Mendez Carreno, 6-4
Nov. 2 • Gabriella Kellner/Valeska San Martin Ramirez (Iowa State) def. Diaz Zayas/Mendez Carreno, 6-2
Matilde Parreira/Sabrina Tolstova • 1-2
Oct. 31 • Elizasbete Klavinska/Shiori Takeda (Drake) def. Parreira/Tolstova, 7-6(5)
Oct. 31 • Gabriella Kellner/Valeska San Martin Ramirez (Iowa State) def. Parreira/Tolstova, 6-1
Nov. 2 • Parreira/Tolstova def. Yangjiaxin Li/Andjela Raznatovic (Northern Iowa), 6-4
Pehal Kharadkar (EMU)/Kira Smith (Iowa State) • 0-1
Nov. 2 • Jacqueline Pearsall/Shelby Smith (Omaha) def. Kharadkar/Smith (ISU), 6-0
Players Mentioned
Tennis Senior Day Highlights 2025 vs. BGSU
Sunday, April 13
Tennis Recap vs. NIU
Saturday, April 12
Highlights: EMU Falls to Miami in Close 4-3 Match
Monday, March 31
Tennis Claws Back to Defeat Ball State, 4-3
Monday, March 24