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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 21-ranked Northeastern State women's tennis team will host a pair of MIAA matches this weekend at the NSU Tennis Complex.
 
The RiverHawks (12-4, 7-0 MIAA) will first say hello to Washburn (3-10, 2-4 MIAA) at 2 p.m. April 10 before welcoming Emporia State (8-7, 2-3 MIAA) at 11 a.m. April 12. If NSU wins both matches, the team will claim no worse than a share of its second-straight MIAA regular season championship.
 
Northeastern State is currently the No. 1-ranked team in the Central Region according to the NCAA, and the RiverHawks are also the last remaining undefeated team in the conference. They lost a narrow 5-4 decision in their last outing on the road at No. 14 Midwestern State, but the team rattled off six-straight victories prior to the rare setback. NSU has defeated all seven league opponents by at least a 7-2 margin.
 
Junior Patricia Husakova boasts the top record of 14-1 in singles, playing primarily at the No. 2 position. Freshman Molly Worden is 12-4, and No. 21-ranked junior Kristina Savchenkov is 11-4. Husakova and Savchenkov comprise the No. 12-ranked doubles team in the nation, and they are 13-1 as a tandem this spring.
 
SCOUTING THE ICHABODS
Washburn has posted a 2-3 mark in its last five matches after starting the season 1-7. The team owns victories over Lincoln (9-0), Concordia (9-0) and Fort Hays State (7-2). Key losses have been to Missouri Western State (7-2), Southwest Baptist (7-2), Nebraska-Kearney (8-1) and Central Oklahoma (6-3).
 
The Ichabods are led by Gwen Shepler, who plays primarily at No. 5 singles. She owns a 6-6 record 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 4-1.
 
Since NSU joined the MIAA prior to the 2013 season, the RiverHawks are 4-0 over Washburn. NSU has outscored the Ichabods 27-3 in those four matches.
 
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State has gone 1-5 in its last six matches after opening the season 7-2. The Hornets have suffered three-straight 5-4 defeats in their last three outings to Southeastern Oklahoma State, Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney. They are currently ranked No. 8 in the NCAA Central Region Rankings.
 
ESU is led by Amy Fugit (11-4) and Tawni Griffey (12-3), both of whom own double-digit singles victories. Four other members of the team have at least seven victories. Griffey and Camila Ramos play at No. 1 doubles, and they are 10-2 this spring.
 
Since NSU joined the MIAA prior to the 2013 season, the RiverHawks lead the series with Emporia State 2-1. NSU defeated ESU 8-1 in 2013, and the Hornets handed Northeastern State a 6-3 defeat early in the 2014 campaign. The RiverHawks came back in the 2014 MIAA Championship semifinals and knocked off ESU 5-1.
 
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