SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The No. 43-ranked Northwest Missouri State University women's tennis team reached the 2025 MIAA Tournament championship match by ousting the No. 14-ranked Washburn University Ichabods in a dramatic 4-3 dual victory.

The Bearcats captured their ninth consecutive dual victory with its second straight win this season over the Ichabods. Northwest is 15-7 overall, while Washburn is 17-3 overall.

Northwest, the tournament's No. 3 seed, will take on No. 4-seeded Central Oklahoma in Sunday's championship match which is slated to begin at 10 a.m.

Northwest started strong again as the Bearcats won the doubles point in their 11th straight dual match. The Bearcats got it going at No. 1 doubles with Marielena Muench and Camilla Franzin owning Washburn's No. 6-ranked squad of Daniela Tijaro and Renske Ubachs, 6-0. Northwest's No. 2 doubles pairing of Miru Nonaka and Alva Norberg continued their winning way by scoring a 6-4 win over Washburn's Isabella Martensson and Saajida Razick, 6-4. It is the 10th straight doubles win this season for Nonaka and Norberg. The Bearcat duo is 12-1 on the season.

Norberg secured Northwest's second point of the dual with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Tijaro at No. 2 singles. Norberg gained her team-leading 19th dual win and also improved to 17-5 in dual match play.

Nonaka went the distance in three sets to give Northwest its third dual point. Nonaka prevailed over Razick at No. 5 singles, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. Nonaka is 16-6 overall and has won six consecutive singles matches.

The dual came down to a pair of ranked players at No. 1 singles. Washburn's Ubachs came into the match ranked No. 19 in the country, while Northwest's Muench was ranked No. 33 in the nation. Muench overpowered Ubachs in the first set for a 6-4 win. Muench appeared ready to close the match in the second set, but Ubachs staved off two match points and rallied for a 7-5 win in the second set. Muench took a 4-0 lead in the third set, only to see Ubachs rally again and pull within 5-4. However, Muench was able to close out the victory with a 6-4 triumph.