MAGNOLIA, Ark. – In the program's first season of competition since 1992-93, the Southern Arkansas Men claimed the Great American Conference Regular Season Title following a 4-2 win over #22 Harding in a gritty affair on Tuesday afternoon at the Live Oaks Tennis Courts. The Muleriders conclude their first regular season of NCAA competition with a 19-4 record overall, a 9-0 showing at home in Magnolia and an unblemished 4-0 mark in league play after defeating Southeastern Oklahoma (4-2), #29 Ouachita Baptist (4-0), and Oklahoma Baptist (5-2) before the triumph over the Bisons.
 
The win gives SAU the top seed for the 2019 GAC Tennis Tournament Championship which begins Thursday, April 25. The last championship of any type for the Mulerider Men's Tennis team came in 1989 as that year's team won the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) title as well as the District 17 title.
 
Tuesday's win was nothing short of special as the Muleriders' top two line players in sophomore No. 1 Stuart Rehfuss and freshman No. 2 Marko Nikoliuk displayed gutsy performances as both outlasted their respective opponents in three sets. Rehfuss' defeat of nationally-ranked Alejandro Sendra clinched the match for Southern Arkansas as the German battled back from a tough 6-7(4) loss in set two to secure the regular season title for the SAU Men.
 
Had Rehfuss dropped the point, the match clincher would have turned to court six where SAU's Raymond Marin Garcia was out in front of Harding's Diego Pierola 6-2, 4-1. Nikoliuk's win over the Bisons' Arthur Bellan gave the Muleriders a 3-2 match lead and shifted the focus to Rehfuss and Sendra's battle on court one.
 
The match was tied following junior Aleksandr Pokusaev's win over Harding's Will Reeves in line five play. SAU gained the early momentum after earning the doubles point with a pair of impressive wins earlier in the afternoon.
 
Singles Competition
1. Stuart Rehfuss (SAU) def. #61 Alejandro Sendra (HU) 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3
2. Marko Nikoliuk (SAU) def.  Arthur Bellan (HU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
3. Morgan Salvan (HU) def. Yuri Gondouin (SAU) 7-6(3), 6-4
4. Luis Tirado (HU) def. Alexandre Machaj (SAU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Aleksandr Pokusaev (SAU) def. Will Reeves (HU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Raymond Marin Garcia (SAU) vs. Diego Pierola (HU) UF 6-2, 4-1
 
Doubles Competition
1. #20 Alejandro Sendra/Morgan Salvan (HU) vs. Aleksandr Pokusaev/Stuart Rehfuss (SAU) UF 5-5
2. Alexandre Machaj/Gustavo Kerber (SAU) def. Arthur Bellan/Diego Pierola (HU) 6-3
3. Yuri Gondouin/Marko Nikoliuk (SAU) def. Luis Tirado/Will Reeves (HU) 6-3
 
Southern Arkansas prepares for the GAC Tennis Tournament Championships. More information, including the bracket, opponent and match times, will be made available in the coming weeks on www.MuleriderAthletics.com.