DENVER – Victories from Tabitha Porter (Auckland, New Zealand/Northcote College) and Alex Pessoa (Denver, Colo./Home-schooled) were the highlights for Metropolitan State University of Denver on Thursday as a deeper University of Nebraska at Kearney claimed a 5-2 dual victory in women's tennis at the Regency Athletic Complex.
 
Porter defeated UNK's Vasilisa Polunova 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1 singles. Pessoa beat the Lopers' Zhanel Turarbek 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2.
 
UNK swept MSU Denver in two doubles matches to earn that point, and picked up one of its four singles victories by default.
 
The Roadrunners return to action Friday for the opening day of the two-day Colorado State University-Pueblo duals. MSU Denver faces Texas-Permian Basin at 9 a.m. Friday, then plays twice Saturday, against Newman (Kan.) at 8:15 a.m. and against Fort Hays State (Kan.) at 2:30 p.m.
 
Thursday's results:
 
Doubles 

1. Zhanel Turarbek/Vasilisa Polunova (UNK) def. Alex Pessoa (Denver, Colo./Home-schooled)/Helena Steenberg (Skodsborg, Denmark/Naerum Gymnasium, Naerum, Denmark) (MSUD), 8-4
2. Sherry Sun/Bhavya Ramineni (UNK) def. Tabitha Porter (Auckland, New Zealand/Northcote College)/Mackenzie Hotan (Beaverton, OR/Southridge H.S.) (MSUD), 8-6
3. UNK by default

 
Singles 

1. Porter (MSUD) def. Polunova (UNK), 6-2, 6-3
2. Pessoa (MSUD) def. Turarbek (UNK), 6-2, 6-4
3. Ramineni (UNK) def. Steenberg (MSUD), 6-2, 6-4
4. Fidan Ibrahimova (UNK) def. Ainsley Winterrowd (Lacey, Wash./North Thurston) (MSUD), 6-3, 6-2
5. Claire Neil (UNK) def. Hotan, 4-6, 6-0 (10-4)
6. UNK by default