Loper Tennis Falls to Ichabods at Grundy Center

KEARNEY – The 21st-ranked Washburn Ichabods won the doubles point and took two singles matches in straight sets to beat 22nd-ranked Nebraska Kearney, 4-3, Friday afternoon at the Ernest Grundy Center.

UNK (8-7, 0-2) has a quick turnaround and it hays three duals in Florida early next week as part of a “Spring Break” trip. WU (7-2, 2-0), after a six-match losing streak to the Lopers, has now taken the last four meetings between the two.

The ‘Bods tallied three of its points thanks to nationally-ranked Sonia Smagina, a Kansas transfer, and Maja Jung. They are ranked ninth nationally in doubles, and won today 6-3 in the top spot, with Smagina D2’s second-ranked singles player with Jung, a junior from Germany ninth.

Smagina won her number one match (6-4, 6-2) but Mexican junior southpaw Jazmin Zamorano beat Jung 6-4 in the first set at number two. However, she took the next two sets by identical 6-2 scores. WU’s other point came at six singles (6-0, 6-0).

Earning straight set singles wins for the Lopers were Belarus junior Masha Hatouka (No. 5) and Madagascar sophomore Narindra Ranaivo (No. 3) with Colorado sophomore Alexis Bernthal rallying at number four (3-6, 6-4, 6-2). Ranaivo now has a team-best 10 singles wins in duals with three others Lopers at nine apiece.

The completion next week will be Rollins College, Palm Beach Atlantic and nationally-ranked Florida Southern