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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Corbey R. Dorsey
3
Indiana (PA) IUP (3-5)
4
Winner Nebraska-Kearney UNK (9-8)
Indiana (PA) IUP
(3-5)
3
Final
4
Nebraska-Kearney UNK
(9-8)
Winner
0
Slippery Rock (PA) SLIP (7-4)
7
Winner Nebraska-Kearney UNK (10-8)
Slippery Rock (PA) SLIP
(7-4)
0
Final
7
Nebraska-Kearney UNK
(10-8)
Winner

Match Recap: Women's Tennis |

Lopers Beat Top Pennsylvania Squads

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's tennis team beat two regionally-ranked squads, Indiana of Pennsylvania and Slippery Rock, Friday in Hilton Head, S.C.

The duals are part of UNK's annual Spring Break trip to a warmer part of the country. On Thursday morning the Lopers (10-8) fell to Illinois-Springfield, 5-2. Kearney, ranked seventh in the Central Region, has picked up a dual Monday morning (8 a.m. Central) vs. D3 member Wisconsin-La Crosse. 

IUP (3-5) is ranked No. 1 in the Atlantic Region and coming off a 2018 Sweet 16 appearance. SRU (7-4) is the Atlantic's fifth ranked team; UNK was supposed to face Division I La Salle (Pa.) Friday afternoon but "The Rock" replaced the Explorers on the schedule.

The Lopers managed to rally past the IUP Crimson Hawks, 4-3, thanks to sweeping four through six singles. It was a very tight battle overall as four of the six matches went to three sets with UNK winning three of them.

Papillion sophomore Claire Neil took her third set versus Maria Magraner at number six by a 10-6 score with Lincoln freshman Fidan Ibrahimova slipping past Thais Andretti by an 11-9 margin at number four. Finally, Russian freshman Vasilisa Polunova bested Kata Minchekova by a 10-8 score at number one to record the clinching point.

Minchekova is ranked sixth in the Atlantic Region in singles with Polunova 16th in the Central. At number one doubles, Polunova and Kazakhstan sophomore Zhanel Turarbek beat Minchekova/Andretti, 6-4. The IUP pair came in ranked sixth in the Atlantic.

Things were much easier in the afternoon against Slippery Rock, 7-0. The Lopers won the doubles point thanks to a pair of 6-1 wins at number two and three and then took all six singles matches, four in straight sets. This time around the three set wins came by Turarbek at number three (10-4) and Chinese senior Sherry Sun at number three (10-3). Finally, Polunova bested Lacey Cohen (6-3, 6-4), the Atlantic's fifth ranked singles player. 

After facing UWL on Monday, UNK returns home to host nationally-ranked Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma next weekend. Weather permitting those duals will be held in Harmon Park. 

 
 
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