KEARNEY, Neb. – The No. 20-ranked Northwest Missouri State University women's tennis team dropped a heart-breaking 4-3 decision to No. 15-ranked Nebraska-Kearney in the NCAA Central Regional second-round.
The Lopers rallied with four singles wins, including a pair of three-set triumphs to secure a spot in Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Northwest gained an initial 1-0 lead when the Bearcats captured the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and No. 3. The Lopers took the No. 1 doubles match with a 6-1 win. It is the 20th time this season the Bearcat women have secured the doubles point in a dual match.
Northwest evened it up quickly when
Tessa Kwakernaak and
Angela per Moreno dialed up a 6-1 trouncing of UNK's No. 2 doubles squad of Tanyaradzwa Midzi and Fabiana Gamboa. Kwakernaak and per Moreno bounced out to a 4-0 lead and did not look back. It was the 10th consecutive win for the Bearcat pairing this spring. Kwakernaak and per Moreno are 21-3 on the season and 20-2 in dual play.
The doubles point came down to the No. 3 match. Northwest's
Laura Prieto Sieiro and
Marielena Muench never trailed against UNK's Alexis Bernthal and Jazmin Zamorano. Prieto Sieiro and Muench faced a crucial point in the match at 4-4 but trailed 15-40. The Bearcat duo responded with three straight points to gain a 5-4 advantage. Muench then served out the match at love to gain the 6-4 triumph. It was the 20th win of the season for the Bearcat duo as they improved to 20-7 overall and 16-7 in dual action.
Northwest procured a pair of singles victories at No. 5 and No. 6 to put the Bearcats on the brink of knocking off UNK. Per Moreno breezed to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Alexis Bernthal at No. 5 singles. Muench gained a 6-4, 6-4 straight sets victory over UNK's Midzi at No. 6 singles. Per Moreno ended the season on a 13-match winning streak and went 24-4 on the year in singles. Muench ended her season at 22-9 in singles action.
Carolina Oliveira and Prieto Sieiro were pushed to three-set matches at No. 1 and No. 4 singles, but the Lopers were able to hand the Bearcats two setbacks.
Oliveira dropped the first set to Jazmin Zamorano, 6-1, but bounced back with a 6-4 win in the second. Zamorano closed out Oliveira with a 6-3 defeat in the third.
Prieto Sieiro looked to be in control after scoring a 6-0 blanking in the opening set with Fabiana Gamboa. However, Gamboa rallied with wins of 6-4, 7-5 in the final two sets to send the Lopers on to nationals.
Northwest finishes the 2023-24 season with a mark of 22-5 overall.
