2015 MIAA Championship Bracket  I  MIAA Championship Central

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 21-ranked Northeastern State women's tennis team is set to compete in the 2015 MIAA Championship April 24-26 at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Missouri.
 
The RiverHawks (16-4, 10-0 MIAA) won the MIAA Regular Season Championship for the second-straight year after going undefeated in league play and have earned the top seed in the tournament. They are set to meet No. 8 seed Washburn (4-13, 3-7 MIAA) in the first round at 9 a.m. April 24. The winner of that match moves on to the semifinals and will face either No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney or No. 5 Emporia State at 9 a.m. April 25. The championship match is set for 9 a.m. April 26. This is the third-straight year NSU will face the Ichabods in the opening round.
 
Northeastern State is currently the No. 1-ranked team in the Central Region according to the NCAA. The RiverHawks have won 10 of their last 11 matches and defeated all 10 of their MIAA opponents by at least a 7-2 margin during the regular season. NSU is a combined 54-6 (.900) in singles matches against league opposition, and the green and white also finished the year with an unblemished 30-0 mark in doubles matches against conference foes.
 
Junior Patricia Husakova boasts a top record of 18-1 in singles, playing primarily at the No. 2 position. Freshman Molly Worden is 16-4, and No. 21-ranked junior Kristina Savchenkov is 15-4. Husakova and Savchenkov comprise the No. 12-ranked doubles team in the nation, and they are 17-1 as a tandem this spring.
 
Northeastern State has advanced to the championship match each of the last two years, falling both times to Southwest Baptist.
 
SCOUTING THE ICHABODS
Washburn enters the MIAA Championship on a high note after snapping a four-match losing skid with an 8-1 triumph over Lindenwood on April 17. WU has also earned victories over Lincoln (9-0), Fort Hays State (7-2) and Concordia (9-0).
 
The Ichabods are led by Gwen Shepler, who plays primarily at No. 5 singles. She is 8-8 and is the only member of the team with a non-losing record this spring. Jodie Blackim and Casyn Buchman comprise the top doubles team, and they are 6-3.
 
NSU owns a 5-0 record over Washburn since the green and white joined the MIAA prior to the 2013 season. Northeastern State has outscored the Ichabods 36-3 in those five matches, which includes a 9-0 triumph earlier this season.
 
2015 MIAA CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (Cooper Tennis Complex)

Friday, April 24 (Quarterfinals)
Match 1: #1 Northeastern State vs. #8 Washburn	9 am
Match 2: #2 Southwest Baptist vs. #7 Missouri Western State	9 am
Match 3: #3 Northwest Missouri State vs. #6 Central Oklahoma	Noon
Match 4: #4 Nebraska-Kearney vs. #5 Emporia State	Noon
Saturday, April 25 (Semifinals)
Match 5: Match 1 winner vs. Match 4 winner	9 am
Match 6: Match 2 winner vs. Match 3 winner	9 am
Sunday, April 26 (Finals)
Match 7: Match 5 winner vs. Match 6 winner	9 am

All matches will be played on six courts
 
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