BOLIVAR, Mo. – The No. 16-ranked Northeastern State women's tennis team came from behind to secure a huge 5-4 upset victory over No. 11 Southwest Baptist Saturday afternoon at the John A. Bryant Tennis Center.
 
The RiverHawks (9-2, 4-0 MIAA) extended their regular-season conference win streak to 23 matches, and they have also defeated SBU in each of their last three regular-season meetings. The Bearcats (9-3, 1-1 MIAA) are 57-3 against MIAA competition since 2011, and all three losses have been at the hands of the green and white.
 
In Saturday's victory, NSU fell behind 4-2 before mounting a valiant comeback. Northeastern State earned the final three decisions to collect the upset victory on SBU's home courts.
 
The Bearcats jumped on top first when Christina Zentai and Lara Soares, the nation's No. 14-ranked doubles team, defeated senior Patricia Husakova and sophomore Easton Parker 8-0 on the top doubles court.
 
Maria Josie Zehnder and Lani Tuemmers then collected an 8-2 victory over the sophomore duo of Daria Panferova and Molly Worden at the second position. The RiverHawks scooped up a crucial point on the third court as junior Valeriia Efimenko and true freshman Karla Tomaic topped Klara Vickov and Zorana Jovanovic 8-4.
 
NSU briefly tied the competition at 2-2 when Zehnder retired on the second court, giving Panferova a 5-4 victory over the nation's No. 12-ranked singles player. Zehnder was ranked No. 6 in the country all season long until slipping to No. 12 this past week.
 
Southwest Baptist regained control when Soares defeated Efimenko 6-0, 6-4 at the third flight and Tuemmers got past Parker 6-3, 6-2 at the fifth position.
 
Those two decisions left the home team up 4-2 and one point shy of victory, but that fifth point would never come.
 
In her first match in the budding rivalry, Tomaic gritted out a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jovanovic on the sixth court. No. 32 Husakova then took down No. 40 Zentai 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) at the top of the lineup.
 
With the match tied 4-4, all eyes shifted to the fourth court, where Worden was battling Vickov. The RiverHawk sophomore gritted out a 7-6 (7-5) opening-set triumph before cruising to a 6-0 second-set victory, earning the team win for Northeastern State.
 
The RiverHawks now sit five matches away from a third-straight MIAA Regular Season Championship.
 
Next up in the quest for the trophy will be a 2 p.m. meeting with Lindenwood March 31 at the NSU Tennis Complex.
 
Tennis Match Results
Mar 26, 2016 at Bolivar, Mo.
(John A. Bryant Tennis Center)
 
#16 Northeastern State 5, #11 Southwest Baptist 4
 
Singles Competition
1. #32 Patricia Husakova (NSU) def. #40 Christina Zentai (SBU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
2. Daria Panferova (NSU) def. #12 Maria Josie Zehnder (SBU) 5-4, retired
3. Lara Soares (SBU) def. Valeriia Efimenko (NSU) 6-0, 6-4
4. Molly Worden (NSU) def. Klara Vickov (SBU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-0
5. Lani Tuemmers (SBU) def. Easton Parker (NSU) 6-3, 6-2
6. Karla Tomaic (NSU) def. Zorana Jovanovic (SBU) 6-3, 6-2
 
Doubles Competition
1. #14 Christina Zentai/Lara Soares (SBU) def. Patricia Husakova/Easton Parker (NSU) 8-0
2. Maria Josie Zehnder/Lani Tuemmers (SBU) def. Daria Panferova /Molly Worden (NSU) 8-2
3. Valeriia Efimenko/Karla Tomaic (NSU) def. Klara Vickov/Zorana Jovanovic (SBU) 8-4
 
Match Notes
Northeastern State 9-2 (4-0 MIAA); National ranking #16
Southwest Baptist 9-3 (1-1 MIAA); National ranking #11
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (2,3,5,6,1,4)
 
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