Drury Results  I  NCTC Results

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The No. 25-ranked Northeastern State women's tennis team defeated No. 24 Drury 5-4 and handled North Central Texas College 8-1 on the first day of the Ouachita Baptist Quad Friday at the Heflin Tennis Courts.
 
The RiverHawks opened the season 2-0 and they earned a win against one of the nation's top teams. The Lady Panthers (2-1) were fresh off 9-0 and 8-0 victories to start the season before losing to NSU, and they were also on the heels of an NCAA Round of 16 appearance, a Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship and a dominant 19-4 record a year ago.
 
Junior Barbora Jirickova and sophomore Kristina Savchenkov were both 4-0 on the day, while seniors Houda Bellamine and Martina Bruzikova both posted 3-1 records.

NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH AMANDA STONE
Statement…
"It's incredible to earn such a big win in the first match of the year. Every matchup today was important and we came through where we needed to as a team. The fight, support, confidence, and play were all there today. Obviously it's a long season and this is just the beginning, but I couldn't have asked for more from the team in the first match of the year."
 
#25 Northeastern State 5, #24 Drury University 4
The opening match of the day began bright and early at 8 a.m. NSU got on the board first, but the Lady Panthers were able to secure an early 2-1 advantage after winning the doubles competition.
 
The RiverHawk tandem of Savchenkov and Jirickova kicked off the match with a swift 8-0 triumph over Hadeil Ali and Samanta Zambrano on the second court. DU's top pair of Stefanie Monsch and Lara Mueller topped NSU's pair of Bruzikova and Bellamine 8-1. The final doubles match saw Natalia Kozel and Yasemin Glasgow defeat sophomore Lucia Cerchlanova and freshman Maria Lodge 8-4 on the third court.
 
NSU quickly knotted the match at 2-2 when Bruzikova earned a 6-3, 6-1 upset victory at No. 2 singles over Kozel, the No. 48-ranked singles player in the nation.
 
Monsch put the Lady Panthers back on top with a decisive 6-2, 6-1 win over Lodge on the fourth court, but Bellamine's 6-4, 6-2 victory over Mueller on the second court again pushed things to all square.
 
Zambrano put Drury on the brink of victory on the fifth court when she defeated Cerchlanova 6-1, 6-2, but it was NSU who would find a way to win the final two matches.
 
Savchenkov, the nation's No. 49-ranked player, was able to earn a hard-fought 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 victory over No. 42-ranked Ali at the top of the lineup, and Jirickova swung the final results in favor of the RiverHawks with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Glasgow at the sixth flight.
 
#25 Northeastern State 8, North Central Texas College 1
Following the hard-fought victory over Drury, NSU earned a stress-free 8-1 win over the Lady Lions.
 
Savchenkov, Bellamine, Bruzikova, Lodge, and Jirickova were all 2-0. The RiverHawks swept the doubles matches and won five of six singles courts.
 
Northeastern State will stay in Arkadelphia for Saturday matches against Arkansas Tech and host Ouachita Baptist.
 
Tennis Match Results
Feb 07, 2014 at Arkadelphia, Ark.
(Heflin Tennis Courts)
 
#25 Northeastern State 5, #24 Drury University 4
                                                            
Singles Competition
1. #49 Kristina Savchenkov (NSU) def. #42 Hadeil Ali (DU) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5
2. Houda Bellamine (NSU) def. Lara Mueller (DU) 6-4, 6-2
3. Martina Bruzikova (NSU) def. #48 Natalia Kozel (DU) 6-3, 6-1
4. Stefanie Monsch (DU) def. Maria Lodge (NSU) 6-2, 6-1
5. Samanta Zambrano (DU) def. Lucia Cerchlanova (NSU) 6-1, 6-2
6. Barbora Jirickova (NSU) def. Yasemin Glasgow (DU) 6-1, 6-4
 
Doubles Competition
1. Stefanie Monsch/Lara Mueller (DU) def. Martina Bruzikova/Houda Bellamine (NSU) 8-1
2. Kristina Savchenkov/Barbora Jirickova (NSU) def. Hadeil Ali/Samanta Zambrano (DU) 8-0
3. Yasemin Glasgow/Natalia Kozel (DU) def. Lucia Cerchlanova/Maria Lodge (NSU) 8-4
 
Match Notes:
Drury University 2-1; National Ranking #24
Northeastern State 1-0; National Ranking #25
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,4,2,5,1,6)
 
Tennis Match Results
Feb 07, 2014 at Arkadelphia, Ark.
(Heflin Tennis Courts)
 
#25 Northeastern State 8, North Central Texas College 1
                                                            
Singles Competition
1. #49 Kristina Savchenkov (NSU) def. Alexandria Rodriguez (NCTC) 6-0, 6-0
2. Houda Bellamine (NSU) def. Elizabeth Arens (NCTC) 6-1, 6-0
3. Martina Bruzikova (NSU) def. Amy Leiu (NCTC) 6-2, 6-1
4. Maria Lodge (NSU) def. Katy Foster (NCTC) 6-4, 6-4
5. Marianna Vargas (NCTC) def. Lucia Cerchlanova (NSU) 6-3, 6-3
6. Barbora Jirickova (NSU) def. Sheridan McKissick (NCTC) 6-0, 6-0
 
Doubles Competition
1. Martina Bruzikova/Houda Bellamine (NSU) def. Alexandria Rodriguez/Elizabeth Arens (NCTC) 8-2
2. Kristina Savchenkov/Barbora Jirickova (NSU) def. Amy Leiu/Sheridan McKissick (NCTC) 8-1
3. Lucia Cerchlanova/Maria Lodge (NSU) def. Katy Foster/Marianna Vargas (NCTC) 8-6
 
Match Notes:
North Central Texas College 1-3
Northeastern State 1-0; National Ranking #25
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,2,3,4,6,5)
 
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