Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney tennis teams picked up key regional wins by both beating Harding University Saturday afternoon in Springfield, Mo.

The 33rd-ranked Loper men improved to 8-0 with a 6-3 decision over the 45th-ranked Bison (3-4) while the UNK women, ranked 6th in the Central, also moved to 8-0 with a dominating 8-1 win over HU, who is ranked seventh in the region.

Harding, from Searcy, Ark., grabbed a 2-1 lead in the men's match after doubles. While the Lopers won five of the six singles matches, it wasn't easy.

Freshman Georges Wakim (Egypt) managed a 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the third spot with senior Jack Nicholson (England) and freshman Aaron Reekie (Sugar Land, Texas) both needing to rally to win.

At No. 5 singles, Reekie dropped the first set by four points and was trailing 5-2 in the second. He not only won that set, 7-5, but took the third by a 6-3 score. Nicholson also lost his first set, 6-3, at No. 6 singles but came back to win the final two by 6-1, 6-3 scores.

In the women's dual, senior Kristin Weems (Arlington, Texas) won the third set, 7-5, to win at No. 1 singles (6-1, 5-7) over Piper Huey. Weems came in ranked 13th in the region with Huey sixth.

Finally, the Lopers top doubles team of Emily Fink (Elkhorn South H.S.) and Sthefani Rodriguez (Venezuela) upset the 3rd-ranked pair of Huey and Ali Bishop by a 9-7 score.

UNK faces nationally-ranked Drury Sunday afternoon.