Liisa Vehviläinen Claims Spotlight as Big Ten Player to Watch!

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State women’s tennis athlete Liisa Vehviläinen has been recognized as a Big Ten Player to Watch as the spring 2025 season approaches, as announced by the conference on Monday.

Vehviläinen is the sole senior among the Spartans’ roster. Originating from Turku, Finland, she recorded a 3-4 performance in fall competitions, with restricted play due to an injury. She concluded her fall season by securing two victories in the MSU Spartan Invite held from Nov. 1-3.

During the previous season, Vehviläinen ended the regular season with a balanced 11-11 singles record, placing third on the team with eight singles wins in dual-match contests. She alternated play across the top three courts, achieving a 4-3 record on courts two and three. Vehviläinen also garnered seven doubles wins, notably partnering with Ayshe Can to defeat Iowa’s No. 81-ranked Daianne Hayashida and Vipasha Mehra.

Vehviläinen and the Spartans kick off the 2025 segment of their schedule on Friday, Jan. 17 in Spokane, Washington, against Gonzaga, followed by a match versus Washington State on Sunday, Jan. 19, also in Spokane. MSU will host Xavier on Friday, Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. at the MSU Tennis Center.

2025 Big Ten Women’s Tennis Players to Watch List

Mckenna Schaefbauer, Jr., Illinois 

Nicole Teodosescu, Jr., Indiana 

Tereza Dejnozkova, Jr., Iowa 

Kallista Liu, Sr., Maryland 

Julia Fliegner, Sr., Michigan 

Liisa Vehvilainen, Sr., Michigan State 

Aiva Schmitz, Jr., Minnesota

Mika Dagan Fruchtman, Fr., Northwestern 

Luciana Perry, So., Ohio State

Olivia Symons, Jr., Oregon

Patricia Grigoras, Fr., Penn State 

Ece Gencer, Fr., Purdue 

Zuzanna Frankowska, So. Rutgers

Anne Christine Lutkemeyer, Jr., UCLA 

Grace Piper, Sr., USC 

Erika Matsuda, Jr., Washington 

Taylor Cataldi, Sr., Wisconsin