Michigan
Michigan State
Michigan Downs MSU, Wins Fourth Consecutive Big Ten Championship
4/18/2026 3:55:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: East Lansing, Mich. (MSU Indoor Tennis Center)
Score: #17 Michigan 4, Michigan State 1
Records: U-M (16-6, 12-1 B1G), MSU (11-12, 4-9 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, April 24 -- at Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals (Columbus, Ohio), TBD
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team won its fourth straight, and 14th overall, Big Ten Championship, defeating Michigan State 4-1 on Saturday afternoon (April 18) at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center.
Michigan is now alone in second place in Big Ten women's tennis history with 14 Big Ten championships. Head coach Ronni Bernstein is now tied for first among coaches in conference history with her 13 Big Ten championship over her 19-season career at U-M.
Michigan took the doubles point with wins at No. 3 and No. 2. At No. 3, Piper Charney and Emily Sartz-Lunde won the first four games and never looked back in a 6-1 victory.
MSU evened the doubles ledger with a 6-4 win at No. 1. Michigan fought off three match points to stay on court at 5-4, but the Spartans closed it out in the next game.
U-M's No. 2 duo of Reese Miller and Laura Rahnel clinched the doubles point for the Maize and Blue with a 7-6 (3) win. After falling behind 4-1, Michigan took a break lead at 6-5. Michigan did not close it out in the next game, sending the match to a tiebreaker. U-M won three of the first four points to grab control early, eventually winning 7-3 to wrap up the first point of the match.
Michigan won two first sets, getting wins from Miller and Sartz-Lunde as U-M was going to have to win a third set to clinch the match.
Sartz-Lunde quickly pushed the Michigan lead to 2-0, dropping just two games in a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 4.
Miller pushed the Michigan lead to 3-0 behind a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 3. She broke at 5-4 in the first set and closed it out in the next game. She fell behind 2-0 in the second set before winning four straight games for a 4-2 lead. MSU broke back, but Miller immediately returned the favor, taking a 5-3 lead. Miller consolidated the break and won the set in the next game, winning four straight points after dropping the first two to account for U-M's third point.
MSU got on the board behind a straight-set win at No. 1.
Needing to win a third set to take the team match, Jessica Bernales took a 3-1 lead in her match at No. 5, and Charney went up a break at 2-1.
Bernales dropped the next two games, with Charney extending her lead to 4-1 before her opponent took a medical timeout.
Bernales did the honors, winning the final three games at No. 5 to wrap up a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win and put the final point on the board.
Michigan is back in action next weekend, heading to Ohio State for the Big Ten Tournament. U-M will receive a bye into the quarterfinals and begin play on Friday (April 24).
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- Amara Brahmbhatt (MSU) d. No. 31 Lily Jones (U-M), 7-6 (2), 6-4
No. 2 -- No. 11 Piper Charney (U-M) vs. Ellie Blackford (MSU), 2-6, 6-1, 4-1 abandoned
No. 3 -- No. 109 Reese Miller (U-M) d. Matilde Morais (MSU), 6-4, 6-3
No. 4 -- Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M) d. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU), 6-2, 6-0
No. 5 -- Jessica Bernales (U-M) d. Nina Plihal (MSU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 -- Gabriella Lindgren (U-M) vs. Oriana Parkins-Godwin (MSU), 6-7 (3), 6-3 abandoned
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 57 Ellie Blackford/Matilde Morais (MSU) d. No. 26 Jessica Bernales/Lily Jones (U-M), 6-4
No. 2 -- Reese Miller/Laura Rahnel (U-M) d. Amara Brahmbhatt/Hanna Tsitavets (MSU), 7-6 (3)
No. 3 -- No. 86 Piper Charney/Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M) d. Oriana Parkins-Godwin/Issey Purser (MSU), 6-1
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-1-2, Singles 4-3-1-5
Players Mentioned
