Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's tennis team has been picked sixth in the 2021 MIAA preseason coaches' poll.

The league's nine head coaches vote on the makeup of the poll and cannot vote for their own team.

UNK received 34 points to beat out Emporia State, Newman and Fort Hays State. The eighth-ranked team in Division II, Central Oklahoma, is number one with 63 points and seven first place votes. Well behind are Northwest Missouri, Washburn (two first place votes), Northeastern State and Missouri Western State. 

Among the Lopers seven players are senior Claire Neil (Papillion-LaVista), junior Pranathi Gannavaram (Lee's Summit, Mo.) and sophomores Brooklyn Hunter (Topeka, Kan.) and Thi Huynh (Lincoln North Star). Three true freshmen round out the roster. 

No MIAA school played in the fall of 2020; the Lopers will face Oklahoma Baptist (12 p.m.) and Colorado Mesa (8 p.m.) tonight (Feb. 4) at the Grand Island Tennis Center. UNK, over the next two weeks, then tangles with three schools that are nationally-ranked or are among others receiving votes for the Top 25; Harding (Ark.), Drury (Mo.), and Flagler (Fla.). 

 

1. Central Oklahoma (7) - 63 points

2.  Northwest Missouri State - 50 points

3. Washburn (2) - 46 points

4. Northeastern State - 44 points

5. Missouri Western State - 38 points

6. Nebraska-Kearney - 34 points

7. - Emporia State - 22 points

8. Neman - 19 points

9. Fort Hays State - 8 points