NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- Northeastern State got a taste of NCAA Division I tennis on Saturday and finished the day with a split.  The RiverHawks handed Prairie View A&M a 4-1 loss before dropping a competitive 5-2 match to Stephen F. Austin.

Saturday's matches were played under Division I format with doubles counting for a point.

In the morning match against Prairie View A&M (0-10) it took the RiverHawks 35 minutes to sweep doubles 6-2 across the board to take a point.

When play switched over to singles, Molly Worden took NSU's top spot 7-5, 6-4(4), and Caitlin McCullough won in the three-slot 6-2, 6-2 to get the RiverHawks a point away from a win. 

Prairie View A&M pulled out a 6-0, 6-4 win in the four slot but Val Efimenko clinched a three set, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 win in two-singles for the match.

The RiverHawks showed doubles power against SFA (1-1) and took the top-two spots 6-4 over the Ladyjacks.  In singles, Efimenko rallied back from a set-one sweep, and won 6-2, 6-4 for the RiverHawks lone singles point as the Ladyjacks won in the other five spots.

Saturday's split moved the RiverHawks to 2-1 overall and they will go to San Antonio, Texas to play another doubleheader against Texas A&M-Kingsville and St. Mary's on Feb. 9.