ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – In their first action in two weeks, No. 25 Southern Arkansas knocked off the rust on Saturday afternoon from the Ward Tennis Center in Arkadelphia as the Muleriders edged Mississippi College 4-3 to improve to 2-1 on the season.
 
Southern Arkansas dropped the doubles point with defeats at #1 and #3. But in singles play, the Muleriders used a victory by sophomore Sofiane Bah at #5 to even up the match at 1-1. Bah defeated MC's Matias Ballatore 6-0, 6-1, before sophomore Marko Nikoliuk, the No. 15 ranked player in Division II, picked up his first win of the season with a 6-3, 6-3 decision at #2 over the Choctaw's Maksym Konovalov.
 
SAU went up 3-1 with a victory by sophomore Alexandre Machaj at #4. Machaj topped Carlos Trujillo 7-6 (6-0), 6-2 to remain unbeaten in singles play this season. The final point for SAU came at #3 as sophomore Yuri Gondouin knocked off Shane Samyn 7-6 (5), 6-3.
 
The Muleriders return to action next weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as a pair of nationally-ranked opponents await on Saturday, February 22. Southern Arkansas will take on TNo. 13 Southwest Baptist, the No. 2 ranked team in the Midwest Region, and JUCO No. 3 Seward County Community College. Results will be made available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.