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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Pranathi Senior Day
UNK Athletics
6
Winner Missouri Western MWSU (15-4 (6-2))
1
Nebraska-Kearney UNK (11-9 (4-4))
Winner
Missouri Western MWSU
(15-4 (6-2))
6
Final
1
Nebraska-Kearney UNK
(11-9 (4-4))

Match Recap: Women's Tennis |

Griffons Take Regular Season Finale; Lopers Face NW in MIAA's

Kearney, Neb. – The 57th-ranked Missouri Western State Griffons won several close matches to down 43rd-ranked Nebraska-Kearney, 6-1, Sunday afternoon at Harmon Park.

This MIAA dual, the regular season finale for both, was originally set for Friday but pushed back two full days due to weather. It also was "Senior Day" with Missouri native Pranathi Gannavaram being honored. 

Both teams came in ranked in the Central Region, the Griffs (15-4, 6-2) fifth and the Lopers (11-9, 4-4) seventh. The NCAA Tournament field will be announced on May 3rd after the completion of the MIAA Tournament; UNK is the fifth seed in that event and will face fourth-seed Northwest Missouri Friday (10 a.m.) in Edmond, Okla. A win over the 42nd-ranked Bearcats (15-8, 5-3) would bolster its NCAA hopes; NW edged UNK by a 4-3 score back in March.

"Missouri Western is a good team. What's the difference? I think some of the tactics, some of the variety they have in their game," said UNK head coach Scott Shafer. "Some of the girls on our team are still struggling to add new elements to their game. When you have situations like this with the wind and a tough opponent, you can't just rely on your 'A' game. We don't have enough tools at times."

MWSU picked up its second straight 6-1 victory over UNK by allowing a combined six points at number two and three doubles and winning three singles matches in three sets. The Griffs end the year with a solid 8-2 road record.

"This wasn't the worst weather (cool with 20mph winds) we've played in this year. I was okay with it … this was only Missouri Western's second outdoor match. We wanted to play them outside because they've been going indoors (all spring) and I thought this would be an advantage for us," said Shafer.

UNK's nationally-ranked doubles team of Melisa Becerra (Colombia) and Jazmin Zamorano (Mexico) did win 7-6 (6) in the top spot. They are now 8-4 on the season. In singles, Zamorano took her number three match in straight sets (6-0, 7-5) to move to 18-2 while Becerra was edged in the top spot by Anya Chavez (7-5, 4-6, 7-5). MWSU also won in three sets at two and four singles.  

"Jazmin lost a lot of matches last year where she was waiting for her opponent to miss. She decided she wasn't going to lose any more matches like that ... this year she is much more aggressive. She's not afraid to miss, she hitting the ball harder and when you do that, it allows you to control the point from the very beginning," said Shafer.

The Loper-Bearcat winner faces top-seed and No. 4 Central Oklahoma or Northeastern State Saturday at 10 a.m.

"Win (beat Northwest) and we're likely in. We're number seven and Northwest is six. We beat them (Friday) and the ranking committee would then have to decide which win is more important … the one where they beat us 4-3 a month ago or us beating them at the conference tournament," said Shafer. "If we don't win that match I think our season ends (at conference) just like last year."
 
 
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