KANSAS CITY, Mo. - UALR (7-2) is off to one of the best starts in school history thanks to a 6-1 win over Rockhurst (2-2) and a 4-3 victory over UMKC (2-4) Sunday (Feb. 17) in Kansas City, Mo.

"We needed a total team effort today and that is exactly what happened," head coach Abby Wilson explained. "It is tough playing three matches in two days so by the time we came to our final contest of the weekend, against a much-improved team in UMKC, we needed to have great conditioning.

"I am proud of the team with what we saw on the court and I am happy that we got three wins this weekend," Wilson added.

UALR closed out the day when it pulled out a tough one-point victory over UMKC. After senior Yana Kakovkina and junior Viktoriya Plyuta (3-4) dropped an 8-4 decision in the top spot to UMKC's Laura Bouet and Eva Dalvai, the second and third doubles team won for the Trojans to capture the critical doubles point. UALR tied doubles thanks to an 8-6 win by sophomore Dané Vorster and freshman Kamilla Galieva (6-0) over Amelie Amsallem and Gabby Pintos at the third spot.

The doubles point all came down to the second slot. Senior Veronique Luksich and sophomore Michaela McShane (5-2) pulled out a 9-7 decision over Dimitra Stavrianakou and Susan Lizenby.

UALR clinched the match after four singles matches, but UMKC finished strong to lose by one. The home team tied the match when Amsallem beat Vorster 6-0, 6-1 at fifth singles. Galieva (8-1) responded with a solid 6-3, 6-1 win over Lisenby at fourth singles.

With the Trojans up 2-1, Kakovkina (5-2) came from behind to put UALR on the verge of clinching the match. After losing the first set to Dalvai 6-4, Kakovkina tied the match with an identical 6-4 set win before taking the third 6-2 for the victory at second singles. Luksich (8-1) won 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 at the top spot over Bouet.

UMKC won at third and sixth singles in come-from-behind fashion. Stavrianakou bested Plyuta (3-5) at the third spot 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2). Schulte handed McShane (6-1) her first loss of the season 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Earlier in the day, UALR defeated Rockhurst with a sweep in doubles play and a 5-1 record in singles action. Luksich and McShane teamed up for an 8-6 victory over Karsyn Betts and Christine Schatz.

The Trojans clinched the doubles point when Galieva and Vorster (5-0) won 8-3 over Washburn's Kim de Groot and Alex Schelble in the second slot. Freshman Christel Amsallem and Kakovkina (1-0) put the exclamation point at third doubles with an 8-2 win over Kim Vrugteveen and Abby Kayser.

In singles action, Luksich did not drop a game in a win over Betts. Second singles saw Kakovkina claim a 6-1, 6-3 win over Schatz. Galieva won 6-0, 7-5 over Schleble at third doubles to clinch the match for the Trojans.

McShane lost 6-1 in the first set before rebounding for a 6-1, 10-4 win over de Groot at fifth singles. Christel Amsallem evened her record through four singles matches with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Kayser in the sixth spot.

Rockhurst claimed its only win of the match at fourth singles when Vrugteveen beat Vorster 7-6 (4), 0-6, 10-7.

The UALR tennis team continues its seven-match road trip Tuesday (Feb. 19) when it takes on Creighton. Match time is set for noon.