Results

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The No. 21-ranked Northeastern State women's tennis team lost 5-2 to No. 19 Southwest Baptist in the finals of the 2015 MIAA Championship Sunday morning at Cooper Tennis Complex.
 
The Bearcats (22-2) won their fourth-straight conference tournament title, and they have now defeated the RiverHawks (18-5) in the finals each of the last three years. NSU has been the No. 1 seed in the tournament each of the last two seasons.
 
The first decision came at No. 1 doubles, where No. 4 Fanni Varga and Christina Zentai defeated the No. 12-ranked duo of juniors Kristina Savchenkov and Patricia Husakova 8-3.
 
NSU got a point back on the third doubles court, where senior Barbora Jirickova and freshman Easton Parker teamed up to defeat Beatrix Federer and Zorana Jovanovic 8-2.
 
The swing point went in favor of the second-seeded Bearcats, as Maria Josie Zehnder and Lani Tuemmers defeated sophomore Valeriia Efimenko and freshman Molly Worden 8-4 on the second court.
 
Varga, ranked No. 20 in the nation in singles, earned a third point for SBU when she defeated No. 21-ranked Savchenkov 6-1, 6-2 at the top of the lineup. Zentai, ranked No. 22 in the nation, pushed the Bearcats to the brink of victory when she defeated Husakova 6-1, 6-1 on the second court.
 
Efimenko gave the RiverHawks a second point when she defeated Tuemmers 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) on the fourth court, but Zehnder clinched the match moments later when she topped Worden 6-2, 6-1 at the third flight.
 
The final two singles matches went unfinished.
 
Northeastern State will now wait to see if the team will be selected to host one of the two NCAA Central Regionals. The RiverHawks entered the final week of the season as the top seed in the region. The NCAA Selection Show will be held at 7 p.m. April 28 on NCAA.com.
 
Tennis Match Results
Apr 26, 2015 at Springfield, Mo.
(Cooper Tennis Complex)
 
#19 Southwest Baptist 5, #21 Northeastern State 2
 
Singles Competition
1. #20 Fanni Varga (SBU) def. #21 Kristina Savchenkov (NSU) 6-1, 6-2
2. #22 Christina Zentai (SBU) def. Patricia Husakova (NSU) 6-1, 6-1
3. Marie Josie Zehnder (SBU) def. Molly Worden (NSU) 6-2, 6-1
4. Valeriia Efimenko (NSU) def. Lani Tuemmers (SBU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-1)
5. Barbora Jirickova (NSU) vs. Beatrix Federer (SBU) 1-6, 6-3, 1-0, unfinished
6. Easton Parker (NSU) vs. Zorana Jovanovic (SBU) 7-6 (8-6), 3-5, unfinished
 
Doubles Competition
1. #4 Fanni Varga/Christina Zentai (SBU) def. #12 Kristina Savchenkov/Patricia Husakova (NSU) 8-3
2. Maria Josie Zehnder/Lani Tuemmers (SBU) def. Valeriia Efimenko/Molly Worden (NSU) 8-4
3. Barbora Jirickova/Easton Parker (NSU) def. Beatrix Federer/Zorana Jovanovic (SBU) 8-2
 
Match Notes:
Southwest Baptist 22-2; National ranking #19
Northeastern State 18-5; National Ranking #21
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,2,4,3)
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH AMANDA STONE
Statement…
"We knew going into the match that the top of SBU's lineup was going to be tough. It was disappointing to lose at No. 2 doubles and No. 3 singles. I wish we could have been more competitive in those matches. I'm really proud of the way Easton (Parker) and (Valeriia Efimenko) played in their singles matches. The bottom of our lineup kept fighting. It looked like we were going to win all those points, which is encouraging. We just have to be tougher in the middle of our lineup. It's really been the theme of our season so far – that we're not able to finish in big matches. We have to show up, relax and just play. We can't win matches against good competition if we aren't going to be tougher."
 
On what it will take to reach the NCAA Round of 16 for the third-straight year…
"Today's match is over. We have to put it behind us now. The opportunity was in front of us but we didn't take it. We will still probably host one of the regionals. We need to get back to business so we can get to the final site (in Surprise, Arizona). Today's result does not affect our overall goal of reaching the national quarterfinals, but it just makes it that much harder."
 
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