TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State started MIAA play on a strong note, defeating Arkansas-Fort Smith 6-1 on Tuesday at the NSU Tennis Courts.

The RiverHawks (3-6, 1-0 MIAA) secured the doubles point with victories at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. The duo of Adel Ismagulova and Annika Kleinhans dominated at No. 2 with a 6-0 victory, while Camila de Michele and Sofia Kotliarova clinched the point with a 7-5 win at No. 3.

In singles, NSU took five of the six matches. Tegan Heaton earned a hard-fought three-set victory at No. 1, winning 6-0, 3-6, 6-4. Ismagulova cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2, while Kotliarova delivered a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 3. Kleinhans and Barbora Havlova added wins at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.

Arkansas-Fort Smith (2-9, 0-2 MIAA) picked up its lone singles win at No. 4, where Antonietta Bocache defeated Lucia Bontempo 6-2, 6-4. The Lions also claimed a win at No. 1 doubles, with Arianna De Bernardo and Taylor Conway securing a 6-4 result.

With the win, Northeastern State has opened MIAA play with a win in three consecutive seasons and has beaten UA-Fort Smith eight straight times.  The RiverHawks will look to carry their momentum on Wednesday, where they will host Harding at 2 p.m. in a non-MIAA tilt.