BILLINGS, Mont. – A valiant effort by the Montana State Billings men's tennis team came up just short Saturay afternoon in a 5-4 loss to Nebraska-Kearney at the MSUB Tennis Bubble.  With the loss, the Yellowjackets fell to 5-6 on the year and 1-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.  UNK defeated the women's team 7-2 as the Yellowjackets fell to 6-7 and 1-1 in conference play.

“Yellowjacket men's and women's tennis showed the Billings tennis community and the RMAC that MSUB tennis is for real,” MSUB head coach Lew Kosich said.  “Freshman Thomas Staffileno, in the last match of the day, lost a toughly contested second set 7-5 in front of screaming fans as UNK narrowly won the match 5-4.”

The upstart men's team came out pumped and looking for the upset.  Thomas Staffileno and Alonso Leon defeated their UNK doubles opponent 8-5 at No. 3 to cut the UNK lead to 2-1 heading into singles.

The Jackets won the top three singles matches, but it wasn't easy.  Navin Marimuthu needed three sets to down Josh Raymond 3-6, 6-0, 1-0(3).  Leon dispatched Yeswanth Nadella at No. 2 in straight sets, 6-1, 7-6, while Kavindu Gamage also needed three sets at No. 3 as he won 6-1, 4-6, 1-0(7).

The 'Lopers came back in the bottom half of the lineup with wins at Nos. 4 and 5 in straight sets tying the match at 4-4.  Staffileno gave it all he had losing 6-2, 7-5 to Josh Smith as UNK escaped with the win.

On the women's side, UNK won all three doubles matches and took four of six singles matches for a 7-2 win.  Senior Rikki Peach, in her final home match of her career, downed Cassie Shaw 6-3, 7-6, at No. 2, while Maria Peterson, also a senior, needed three sets to defeat Nickola Messbarger at No. 4.

Nebraska-Kearney 5, Montana State Billings 4

Doubles

1.      Raymond/Nadella (UNK) def. Marimuthu/Gamage (MSUB) 8-3

2.      Conzemius/Steinke (UNK) def. Lehman/Catlin (MSUB) 8-2

3.      Staffileno/Leon (MSUB) def. Duncan/Smith (UNK) 8-5

Singles

1.      Navin Marimuthu (MSUB) def. Josh Raymond (UNK) 3-6, 6-0, 1-0(3)

2.      Alonso Leon (MSUB) def. Yeswanth Nadella (UNK) 6-1, 7-6

3.      Kavindu Gamage (MSUB) def. Rodrigo Duncan (UNK) 6-1, 4-6, 1-0(7)

4.      John Steinke (UNK) def. Delbert Landicho (MSUB) 6-0, 6-3

5.      Kyle Conzemium (UNK) def. Brad Knutson (MSUB) 6-3, 7-6

6.      Josh Smith (UNK) def. Thomas Staffileno (MSUB) 6-2, 7-5

Nebraska-Kearney 7, Montana State Billings 2

Doubles

1.      Shaw/Gunawan (UNK) def. Karlsson/Peach (MSUB) 8-1

2.      Green/Messbarger (UNK) def. Peterson/Beatty (MSUB) 8-4

3.      Wells/Lyster (UNK) def. Rutz/Rochin (MSUB) 8-4

Singles

1.      Vanessa Gunawan (UNK) def. Kim Karlsson (MSUB) 6-0, 6-2

2.      Rikki Peach (MSUB) def. Cassie Shaw (UNK) 6-3, 7-6

3.      Britni Norfolk (UNK) def. Johnna Beatty (MSUB) 6-1, 6-2

4.      Maria Peterson (MSUB) def. Nickola Messbarger (UNK) 5-7, 6-4, (11-9)

5.      Heather Connelly (UNK) def. Libby Rutz (MSUB) 6-3, 6-3

6.      Candace Green (UNK) def. Kayla Rochin (MSUB) 6-1, 6-1