SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The No. 11-ranked Northeastern State women's tennis team defeated Northwest Missouri State 5-1 in the semifinals of the 2016 MIAA Championship Saturday afternoon at Cooper Tennis Complex.
 
The top-seeded RiverHawks (19-2) advanced past the No. 4-seeded Bearcats (12-12) with the help of a pair of doubles victories and three straight-set singles triumphs.
 
NSU will now play No. 18-ranked and second seed Southwest Baptist at noon May 1 in the finals. This will be the fourth-straight year that Northeastern State and SBU will meet in the championship of the conference tournament. The Bearcats have won all three previous meetings.
 
The RiverHawks started Saturday's victory strong by earning 8-1 doubles wins at the first and second courts. Senior Patricia Husakova and sophomore Molly Worden topped Lorena Rivas Jarolim and Vilune Sestokaite, and junior Valeriia Efimenko and sophomore Daria Panferova cruised past Aniek Kolen and Margaux Jacquet.
 
Sophomore Easton Parker and true freshman Karla Tomaic reached match point four separate times against Andrea Gallardo and Kaja Emersic at the third position, but the NWMSU duo came from behind to win 9-7.
 
The final result was never in doubt during singles play, as NSU earned the necessary three points needed to clinch the team victory all in straight sets.
 
Husakova, the nation's No. 12-ranked singles player, took down Rivas Jarolim 6-1, 6-1 from the top court, and Worden earned the fourth point by defeating Jacquet 6-4, 6-1 at the fourth position. Efimenko shut down proceedings when she wrapped up a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Kolen from the third court.
 
The three remaining flights all went unfinished.
 
Tennis Match Results
Apr 30, 2016 at Springfield, Mo.
(Cooper Tennis Complex)
 
#11 Northeastern State 5, Northwest Missouri State 1
 
Singles Competition
1. #12 Patricia Husakova (NSU) def. Lorena Rivas Jarolim (NWMSU) 6-1, 6-1
2. Daria Panferova (NSU) vs. Kaja Emersic (NWMSU) 6-1, 1-6, 5-1, unfinished
3. Valeriia Efimenko (NSU) def. Aniek Kolen (NWMSU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Molly Worden (NSU) def. Margaux Jacquet (NWMSU) 6-4, 6-1
5. Easton Parker (NSU) vs. Andrea Gallardo (NWMSU) 4-6, 3-2, unfinished
6. Karla Tomaic (NSU) vs. Vilune Sestokaite (NWMSU) 6-7 (3-7), 3-2, unfinished
 
Doubles Competition
1. Patricia Husakova/Molly Worden (NSU) def. Lorena Rivas Jarolim/Vilune Sestokaite (NWMSU) 8-1
2. Valeriia Efimenko/Daria Panferova (NSU) def. Aniek Kolen/Margaux Jacquet (NWMSU) 8-1
3. Andrea Gallardo/Kaja Emersic (NWMSU) def. Easton Parker/Karla Tomaic (NSU) 9-7
 
Match Notes
Northwest Missouri State 12-12
Northeastern State 19-2; National ranking #11
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,4,3)
 
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