Solid Year Ends with MIAA Tourney Setback in Oklahoma

Results

#1 Doubles
FINAL	1
Zamorano, Jazmin / Becerra, Melisa (33/-) [UNK]	6
Dodashev, Alexandra / Pignataro, Sofia [NWMSU]	4

#2 Doubles
FINAL	1
Sherikulova, Myrzaiym "Mia" / Bernthal, Alexis [UNK]	3
Alenicheva, Vera / Kwakernaak, Tessa [NWMSU]	6

#3 Doubles
FINAL	1
Hatouka, Masha / Ranaivo, Narindra [UNK]	6 ⁶
Aliseda, Julia / Tyffaine Paris [NWMSU]	7 ⁸

Order of Finish: 2, 3

#1 Singles
UNFINISHED	1	2	3	4
Becerra, Melisa [UNK]	6	2	0	UF
Alenicheva, Vera [NWMSU]	2	6	3	0

#2 Singles
UNFINISHED	1	2	3	4
Zamorano, Jazmin [UNK]	6	3	4	UF
Tyffaine Paris [NWMSU]	4	6	1	0

#3 Singles
FINAL	1	2
Ranaivo, Narindra [UNK]	4	4
Aliseda, Julia [NWMSU]	6	6

#4 Singles
UNFINISHED	1	2	3	4
Bernthal, Alexis [UNK]	6	5	3	UF
Pignataro, Sofia [NWMSU]	1	7	0	0

#5 Singles
FINAL	1	2
Plachy, Clare [UNK]	6 ⁶	4
DeOliveira, Carolina [NWMSU]	7 ⁸	6

#6 Singles
FINAL	1	2
Hatouka, Masha [UNK]	1	1
per Moreno, Angela [NWMSU]	6	6

Order of Finish: 6, 3, 5

Kearney, Neb. – The 46th-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcats eliminated 50th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney, 4-0, from the 2022 MIAA Tournament Friday in Edmond, Okla.

The Lopers (11-10) see its season come to an end as it needed to beat the Bearcats (15-8) in order to make the NCAA Tournament. In the most recent NCAA Central Region Rankings, UNK was seventh and Northwest six; the top six teams qualify for regionals. The 'Cats already owned a 4-3 win over Kearney earlier this spring.

To beat UNK for a sixth straight time, fourth-seeded Northwest rallied at number three doubles (7-6; 8-6) and took three singles matches in straight sets.

In doubles, the 'Cats won at number two, 6-3, with the nationally-ranked pair of Melisa Becerra (Colombia) and Jazmin Zamorano (Mexico) winning 6-4 in the top spot. At three, freshmen Masha Hatouka (Belarus) and Narindra Ranaivo (Madagascar) were up 5-2. However, Northwest scored the next four points before Hatouka/Ranaivo tied things up at six. The 'Cats jumped out to a 4-2 lead and then broke a 6-6 tie by scoring the final two points.

Northwest then completed the win thanks to scores of 6-1, 6-1 (No. 6), 7-6; 8-6, 6-4 (No. 5) and 6-4, 6-4 (No. 3). Zamorano was up 4-1 in the third set at number two, freshman Alexis Bernthal (Boulder, Colo.) was ahead 3-0 in her third set at number four with Becerra trailing in the third, 3-0, at number one. All three matches went unfinished due to tournament format.

A young Loper squad has four All-MIAA picks this year, the Sportsmanship Award winner (Bernthal), the Co-Coach of the Year (Scott Shafer), received its highest national ranking ever (12th) and beat likely NCAA Tourney qualifiers Harding and Drury. Four-year team member Pranathi Gannavaram (Lee's Summit, Mo.) is the team's only senior.

Print Friendly Version