Women's Tennis 5/3/2025 8:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO Headed To MIAA Championship

Bronchos Beat Top-Seed Nebraska Kearney In MIAA Women's Tennis Championship Semifinal

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Central Oklahoma punched its ticket to Championship Sunday with a 4-2 win over Nebraska Kearney in Friday's MIAA Women's Tennis Championship Semifinal.

UCO will play Northwest Missouri Sunday at 10 a.m. in the final. The winner earns the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Central Region Championship.

"Everyone played so well today," UCO head women's tennis coach Joe Vann said. "We fought hard and we found a way. I'm really proud of the team for their work today. Now we need to jump right back out there and see if we can do it again tomorrow."

UCO improved to 12-6 on the season with the win.

Central jumped out to a 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point. Anika Ouwejan and Nefeli Zafeiri dropped No. 1 doubles, 6-3, but the Bronchos fought back for a 7-5 win at No. 2 doubles from Ayaka Koga and Pete Komada, and then a 7-6 (7-5) win at No. 3 doubles by Hui Soo and Karyna Yurchenko to clinch the point.

While Kearney tied the match 1-1 with a win over Koga at No. 3 singles, Komada quickly made it 2-1 in singles play, winning 6-1, 6-4 at No. 1 moments later. Two more matches ended side by side soon after. Ouwejan won 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4 singles to make it 3-1, UCO, and then Kearney got one back at No. 6 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Soo.

Needing just one more point, Yurchenko delivered. The junior from Ukraine lost the first set, 6-2, but battled back for a 6-1 win in the second set. The third set was a back-and-forth slugfest that ended with Yurchenko winning 7-6 (7-5) to clinch the match and the spot on Championship Sunday.

Zafeiri abandoned her match at No. 2 singles, winning the first set 7-5, losing 6-1 in the second, and she led 4-3 in the third when the match ended.

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Players Mentioned

Ayaka Koga: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Pete Komada: 5' 5"; Junior

Anika Ouwejan: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Karyna Yurchenko: 5' 6"; Junior

Nefeli Zafeiri: 5' 7"; Senior

Hui Soo: 5' 6"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Ayaka Koga
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Pete Komada
: 5' 5"; Junior

Anika Ouwejan
: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Karyna Yurchenko
: 5' 6"; Junior

Nefeli Zafeiri
: 5' 7"; Senior

Hui Soo
: 5' 6"; Freshman