Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's tennis team advanced to the second round of the MIAA Tournament by beating NW Missouri State, 6-1, Friday afternoon in Springfield, Mo.
 
Winners of six straight, the third-seed Lopers (19-6) take on second-seed Southwest Baptist Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The Bearcats (18-3) beat UNK, 6-3, earlier this year in Bolivar.
 
Back on March 7th in Red Oak, Ia., Northwest (11-11) won 9-8 at No. 3 doubles and won two singles matches in three sets to slip past the Lopers by a 5-4 score.
 
This time, UNK led 2-1 after doubles as junior Kristin Weems (Arlington, Texas) and freshman Emily Fink (Elkhorn South H.S.) managed a 9-7 victory in the second spot with sophomore Paula Jimenez (Spain) and freshman Renee Hoekstra (East Lansing, Mich.) winning 8-6 in the third position.
 
At No. 1 singles, it was a battle between Loper senior Vanessa Gunawan, ranked 12th in the Central, and Northwest's Lorena Rivas Jarolim, the region's 11th ranked player. Jarolim beat Gunawan in three sets in March but the tables really turned today as Gunawan won 6-2, 6-3.
 
Weems (No. 2), Missouri senior Britni Norfolk (No. 5) and Arizona junior Kari Emery (No.6) also won in straight sets to close out the Bearcats.