SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The No. 11-ranked Northeastern State women's tennis team lost 5-2 to No. 18 Southwest Baptist in the finals of the 2016 MIAA Championship Sunday afternoon at Cooper Tennis Complex.
 
The second-seeded Bearcats (22-3) clinched their sixth-straight conference title, while knocking off the RiverHawks (19-3) in the finals for the fourth-straight year.
 
The first point of the day went in favor of SBU when Klara Vickov and Zorana Jovanovic defeated sophomore Easton Parker and true freshman Karla Tomaic 8-0 on the third doubles court.
 
NSU tied the match at 1-1 when senior Patricia Husakova and sophomore Molly Worden breezed past the No. 13-ranked tandem of Lara Soares and Christina Zentai 8-2 on the top court. The Bearcats took the early momentum when Maria Josie Zehnder and Lani Tuemmers earned a hard-fought 9-7 win over junior Valeriia Efimenko and sophomore Daria Panferova at the second flight.
 
Tuemmers collected the first singles point for Southwest Baptist when she defeated Parker 6-0, 7-5 from the fifth position, but No. 12-ranked Husakova defeated No. 31 Zentai 6-4, 6-2 on the first court to push the score to 3-2 in favor of SBU.
 
No. 39 Zehnder defeated Panferova 6-2, 6-2 at the second flight, and Soares clinched the championship for her team by defeating Efimenko 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 on the third court.
 
The remaining two matches went unfinished.
 
The RiverHawks, who entered the tournament as the top seed and the No. 1-ranked team from the Central Region, will now await their postseason fate. The NCAA Championship Selection Show will be held at 7:30 p.m. May 3 on NCAA.com.
 
Tennis Match Results
May 01, 2016 at Springfield, Mo.
(Cooper Tennis Complex)
 
#18 Southwest Baptist 5, #11 Northeastern State 2
 
Singles Competition
1. #12 Patricia Husakova (NSU) def. #31 Christina Zentai (SBU) 6-4, 6-2
2. #39 Maria Josie Zehnder (SBU) def. Daria Panferova (NSU) 6-2, 6-2
3. Lara Soares (SBU) def. Valeriia Efimenko (NSU) 7-6 (9-7), 6-3
4. Molly Worden (NSU) vs. Klara Vickov (SBU) 6-4, 5-6, unfinished
5. Lani Tuemmers (SBU) def. Easton Parker (NSU) 6-0, 7-5
6. Karla Tomaic (NSU) vs. Zorana Jovanovic (SBU) 6-3, 2-6, 2-3, unfinished
 
Doubles Competition
1. Patricia Husakova/Molly Worden (NSU) def. #13 Lara Soares/Christina Zentai (SBU) 8-2
2. Maria Josie Zehnder/Lani Tuemmers (SBU) def. Valeriia Efimenko/Daria Panferova (NSU) 9-7
3. Klara Vickov/Zorana Jovanovic (SBU) def. Easton Parker/Karla Tomaic (NSU) 8-0
 
Match Notes
Southwest Baptist 22-3; National ranking #18
Northeastern State 19-3; National ranking #11
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,1,2,3)
 
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