BROKEN ARROW, Okla. – The No. 18-ranked Northeastern State women's tennis team opened Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play with a decisive 7-2 triumph over Nebraska-Kearney Friday evening inside The Club at Indian Springs.
 
The RiverHawks (6-2, 1-0 MIAA) handed the Lopers (7-2, 0-1 MIAA) just their second loss of the season and also improved to 7-0 against UNK since the two programs joined the MIAA prior to the 2013 season.
 
NSU started off with a win at the top of the doubles card, where the No. 21-ranked pair of senior Patricia Husakova and sophomore Molly Worden thwarted Jadyn Trimble and Camryn Parnell by an 8-4 margin.
 
Nebraska-Kearney knotted the match briefly at 1-1 when Sthefani Rodriguez and Yuxiu Sun squeaked past the sophomore tandem of Daria Panferova and Easton Parker 8-3 at the second position. The RiverHawks won back the momentum heading into singles action when junior Valeriia Efimenko and true freshman Karla Tomaic topped Paula Jimenez and Emma Neil 9-7 from the third spot.
 
Panferova and Husakova blew past their singles opponents to swing the match to 4-1 in favor of the home side. Panferova defeated Rodriguez 6-1, 6-1 on the second court before Husakova, the nation's No. 30-ranked singles player, handed Sun a 6-1, 6-0 setback from the top of the lineup.
 
Worden, NCAA's No. 46-ranked singles player, clinched the team victory when she defeated Jimenez 6-4, 6-4 at the third position.
 
Tomaic added another point from the back half of the order when she earned a 6-0, 6-1 win over Trimble, and Parker bested Neil 6-3, 6-1 from the fifth spot.
 
The lone singles point came by way of retirement on the fourth court. Efimenko won the first set in a tiebreaker over Parnell but retired once the team decision was final.
 
NSU is now set to welcome Fort Hays State to Tahlequah at 3:30 p.m. March 19. This will be the third home match of the season for the RiverHawks but the first that will be played at the NSU Tennis Complex. Since joining the MIAA, Northeastern State is 3-0 against the Tigers and has won by a combined score of 27-0.
 
Tennis Match Results
Mar 18, 2016 at Broken Arrow, Okla.
(The Club at Indian Springs)
 
#18 Northeastern State 7, Nebraska-Kearney 2
 
Singles Competition
1. #30 Patricia Husakova (NSU) def. Yuxiu Sun (UNK) 6-1, 6-0
2. Daria Panferova (NSU) def. Sthefani Rodriguez (UNK) 6-1, 6-1
3. #46 Molly Worden (NSU) def. Paula Jimenez (UNK) 6-4, 6-4
4. Camryn Parnell (UNK) def. Valeriia Efimenko (NSU) 6-7 (5-7), retired
5. Easton Parker (NSU) def. Emma Neil (UNK) 6-3, 6-1
6. Karla Tomaic (NSU) def. Jadyn Trimble (UNK) 6-0, 6-1
 
Doubles Competition
1. #21 Patricia Husakova/Molly Worden (NSU) def. Jadyn Trimble/Camryn Parnell (UNK) 8-4
2. Sthefani Rodriguez/Yuxiu Sun (UNK) def. Daria Panferova/Easton Parker (NSU) 8-3
3. Valeriia Efimenko/Karla Tomaic (NSU) def. Paula Jimenez/Emma Neil (UNK) 9-7
 
Match Notes
Nebraska-Kearney 7-2 (0-1 MIAA)
Northeastern State 6-2 (1-0 MIAA); National ranking #18
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (2,1,3,6,4,5)
 
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