TOPEKA, Kansas – The No. 24-ranked Northwest Missouri State University women’s tennis team advanced to the program’s eighth Sweet 16 with a 4-1 dual win over No. 8-ranked Washburn University on Tuesday at the Washburn Tennis Complex.

Northwest’s last trip to the Sweet 16 came in 2008.

Northwest, the No. 6 seed in the Central Region, improved to 19-6 overall. Washburn, the No. 2 seed in the Central Region, sees its season come to an end at 22-4 overall.

The Ichabods captured the doubles’ point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. Northwest’s No. 2 doubles’ team of Irene Recuenco and Julia Aliseda held a 6-5 lead over Washburn’s Svea Crohn and Jacqueli Engelbrecht when the match was halted because the Ichabods had clinched the doubles’ point.

Washburn’s No. 3 doubles’ duo of Maria Soler Valverde and Kinsey Fields held on for a 6-4 win over Northwest’s Julie Rinderknech and Sara Grozdanovic.

Washburn’s No. 1-nationally ranked doubles’ pair of Logan Morrissey and Alexis Czapinski posted a 6-2 win over Northwest’s No. 15-ranked team of Marta Ferrando and Tania Teruel.

Northwest gained the upper hand in the dual with a pair of straight sets victories in singles.

Rinderknech came out on top at No. 5 singles with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Crohn.

Recuenco, ranked No. 17 in the ITA, toppled the nation’s No. 4-ranked singles player in Czapinski, 6-2, 6-4. Recuenco’s win gave Northwest a 2-1 lead in the dual.

Ferrando built a 3-1 advantage with a three-set victory at No. 3 singles over No. 49-ranked Maria Soler Valverde, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

Aliseda, ranked No. 57 in the nation, scored the dual-clinching win with a three-set triumph at No. 4 singles. Aliseda came from a set down and posted a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Morrissey.

— Northwest Athletics —