EDMOND, Okla. - The No. 15-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's tennis team withstood a strong effort from No. 20-ranked Ouachita Baptist University to advance to the MIAA Tournament championship match with a 4-2 triumph.

Northwest captured its eighth consecutive win and moved its season mark to 14-5 overall. Ouachita Baptist fell to 12-10 overall.

The Bearcats landed the first haymaker in the match by scoring the doubles point. The No. 36-ranked duo of Fabien Calloud and Jan Skerbatis won their seventh straight match together with a 6-2 win over OBU's Aaron Osmond and Matias Parzajuk at No. 2 doubles. Northwest's Mason Meier and Michael Delebois picked up a 6-3 triumph over OBU's Fernando Docters and Ramond Strassmann at No. 3 doubles.

The action began heating up in singles with OBU scoring two wins and the Bearcats answered with two of their own.

OBU's No. 4-ranked Phil Exner topped No. 45-ranked Michael Delebois at No. 2 singles in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.

OBU's Aaron Osmond scored a 6-2, 6-3 win over Northwest's Simon Birgerson at No. 6 singles.

The Bearcats notched straight sets wins at No. 4 and No. 5 singles. Jan Skerbatis tallied a 7-5, 6-2 victory over OBU's Matias Parzajuk, while Mason Meier prevailed over OBU's Ramond Strassmann, 6-3, 6-2.

Northwest held a 3-2 lead and needed to capture either the No. 1 or No. 3 singles match to capture the dual win. 

No. 65-ranked Fabien Calloud pulled out a three-set win at No. 3 singles over OBU's Fernando Docters. Calloud won the first set 6-2 and led for a majority of the second set before Docters forced a tiebreaker. Docters dominated the tiebreaker with a 7-0 shutout. However, Calloud quickly regrouped and breezed to a 6-0 third-set win to secure the Bearcat victory. Calloud ran his singles win streak to nine in a row and he is now 15-6 on the season.

At No. 1 singles, No. 12-ranked Andrea Zamurri and No. 14-ranked Alex Blanchar battled into a third set before the match was left unfinished because the Bearcats had clinched the dual win. Zamurri won the opening set, 6-2, Blanchar captured the second set, 6-2. Zamurri led 5-4 in the final set when it was called off.

Northwest will take on No. 24-ranked Washburn in the MIAA Tournament final Friday at 9 a.m.

NOTES: Fabien Calloud improved his career singles record to 73-30 and his career doubles mark to 70-33 ... his 73 wins rank as the sixth-most singles wins in program history ... Calloud's 70 doubles victories also rank as the sixth-most in school history ... his combined singles/doubles wins total of 143 is tied for the fifth-most in Northwest's history ... Calloud is 19-5 all-time in dual play in three-set matches.

Most Career Wins (Singles and Doubles)
1.  -  Jim Eaton  -  163  -  1982-85
2.  -  Nick McFee  -  150  -  1994-97
        Phil White  -  150  -  1971-74
4.  -  George Adeyemi  -  146  -  1982-85
5.  -  David Imonite  -  143  -  1972-74
     -  Fabien Calloud  -  143  - 2018-pres.
*No records from 1975-79, '81 or prior to 1972

Most Career Singles Wins 
1.  -  David Imonite  -  88  -  1972-75
2.  -  Calvin Patterson  -  82  -  2009-12
3.  -  Rob Veasey  -  80  -  1985-88
4.  -  Jim Eaton  -  79  -  1982-85
5.  -  Nick McFee  -  78  -  1994-97
6.  -  Fabien Calloud  - 73  -  2018-pr.
7.  -  Alvaro Riveros  -  72  -  2013-16
8.  -  George Adeyemi  -  71  -  1982-85
9.  -  Jorge Castilla  -  68  -  1986-89
        Phil White  -  68  -  1971-73

Most Career Doubles Wins
1.  -  Jim Eaton  -  84  -  1982-85
2.  -  Phil White  -  82  -  1971-74
3.  -  Vijit Sehgal  -  76  -  2008-11
4.  -  George Adeyemi  -  75  -  1982-85
5.  -  Nick McFee  -  72  -  1994-97
6.  -  Fabien Calloud - 70 - 2018-pres.
7.  -  Lluis Altimires -  69 -  2012-14
8.  -  Romain Boissinot  -  65  -  2014-17
9.  -  Calvin Patteson  -  59  -  2009-12
10.  -  J.J. Mulwanda  -  58  -  2001-04
        Jonas Norell  -  58  -  1987-90
        Alvaro Riveros  -  58  -  2013-16