April 6, 2026-The Emporia State tennis teams split with Neb.-Kearney on Monday at the Kossover Family Tennis Complex. The Hornet women fell 5-2 early in the day and the Emporia State men finished the day with a 6-1 win over #21 Neb.-Kearney.
 
ESU Men 6, #21 UNK 1
After dropping the doubles point Emporia State came back to sweep singles to clinch their first win over a nationally ranked team this year.
In a battle of top 30 doubles teams, the Lopers #19 duo of Ivan Melnik and Andy Brisbon defeated #27 Anton Sarunic and Luke West 3-0 at #1 doubles.  UNK then took the doubles point with a 6-3 win at #2 and completed the sweep with a 7-5 win at #3.
West got things started for the Hornets with a 6-2, 6-4 win at #4 singles to even the dual at 1-1.  Mostafa Elbasnaly gave Emporia State the lead with a 6-4, 6-3 win over the 75^th ranked Brisdon. Diego Calvo dropped his first set at #3 but came back to post a 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-1 win to give the Hornets a 3-1 lead.  Sarunic  clinched the dual win for Emporia State with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win over #58 Melnik. Emporia State closed out the dual with a pair of super tiebreaker wins.  Duvan Santiago Torres won 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8) at #6 before Rolo Kacer finished the day with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-0, 1-0 (10-2) win at #5 singles.

Anton Sarunic clinches the dual win for Emporia State over #21 UNK with a 7-5,4-6,6-3 win over #58 Ivan Melnik #StingersUp pic.twitter.com/6EeT7VhG6K

— ESU Athletics (@ESUSports) April 6, 2026

This was the Hornets first win against a nationally ranked team since defeating then #31 Rockhurst 6-1 on March 8, 2025 at the Kossover Complex. It is their highest ranked win since beating then #19 Lubbock Christian 4-3 on March 12, 2024 in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
 
UNK Women 5, ESU 2
The Hornets started the dual with a 6-0 win by Sheriden Wichman and Yuliya Klimova at #2 doubles before the Lopers picked up the equalizer with a 6-3 win at #1. Erin Cahill and Giulia Russu led 4-3 at #3 but Valentina Zamora and Julia Wartecka came back to win 7-5 to give Neb.-Kearney a 1-0 lead.
Cahill evened the dual at 1-1 with a 6-4, 6-0 win at #6 for Emporia State but UNK would pick up wins at 5, 4, and 2 to clinch the dual. Giovanna Ferreira went to a third set at #1 before falling 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 and Carla Paul Piquer ended singles with a 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 1-0 (10-7) win at #3 singles for the Hornets.
 
UP NEXT
The Emporia State women play host to #17 Washburn on Thursday, April 9 while the Hornet men take on the #10 Ichabods on Friday, April 10.  Both duals of the Turnpike Tussle are scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. at the Kossover Family Tennis Complex.