UNK Lopers // UNK Communications
MARYVILLE, MO – The Nebraska-Kearney tennis teams split with Northwest Missouri on Wednesday in Maryville, the 17th-ranked women winning 5-2 and the men falling to the 45th-ranked Bearcats, 6-1.
These duals were moved up a full day to beat the weather. Earlier on Wednesday, the second Central Region rankings were released, and the 18th-ranked Bearcat women (second) and Lopers (fourth) were both in the top four.
UNK (17-4, 5-2) could jump Northwest (20-3, 5–2) in the next rankings after today’s win. While the Lopers dropped all three doubles matches for the first time this year, they won four of six singles matches. Three of the wins came in three sets with this effort helping the Blue & Gold end a seven-match losing streak to the ‘Cats. The last Loper win in the series came back in April 2017 in Lincoln.
At two singles, Colombian senior Melisa Becerra got past 73rd-ranked Tessa Kwakernaak (4-6, 1-6, 6-4) thanks to scoring the final two points in the third set. Earlier, 28th-ranked Jazmin Zamorano was winning at one (6-4, 3-2) before her opponent retired. Both Becerra and Zamorano (Mexico) now have 128 career wins apiece.
Next, Madagascar junior Narindra Ranaivo (6-4, 5-7, 6-2) and Venezuelan freshman Fabiana Gamboa (5-7, 6-4, 6-1) rolled in the third set with Colorado junior Alexis Bernthal having the most dominant win (6-2, 6-4) at six. Ranaivo is now 16-4 and riding a 12-match win streak with Bernthal having won eight straight to move her dual record to 16-3.
On the men’s side, Egyptian freshman Ahmed Abdelaziz posted a 6-4, 1-0 (10-4) win at five but the ‘Cats (13-6, 3-1) took every other match. Working with a new lineup of late, the Lopers fall to 13-9 (3-1). In the region rankings, NW is fourth with UNK sixth.
English freshman Andy Brisdon had a chance at six singles but fell in three sets (4-6, 6-1, 1-0; 10-5) with freshman Jip Mens (The Netherlands) and Abdelaziz falling by just a 7-5 score at two doubles to the nation’s 35th-ranked pair.
Friday’s match at Washburn has moved up to a 9 a.m. start to beat the weather. The Ichabods are ranked eighth (men) and 13th (women) nationally. The winner of the women’s dual will be the MIAA regular season champion.
