MAGNOLIA, Ark. – On Tuesday afternoon from the Live Oaks Tennis Courts, it was the Southern Arkansas Women, receiving votes nationally and ranked No. 2 in the Central Region, that handled the MIAA's Northwest Missouri, ranked No. 22 nationally and No. 3 in the Central Region, 6-1 to improve to 4-1 on the season and 13-0 at home since the start of the 2018-19 campaign.
 
The Muleriders claimed the doubles point with wins by Angela Vargas and Lena Milosevic at line one and Anaelle Lepinay and Kalley Smith at line three. In singles action, it was a decisive victory at line four by Milosevic that put SAU up 2-0 and after the Bearcats claimed their lone point, the Muleriders rattled off the next four points for the in-region victory.
 
Coming into the match, Northwest Missouri had three players ranked in the region's top 20 individually following the fall season. Marta Ferrando (No. 12), Tania Teruel (No. 13), and Julia Aliseda (No. 20) all hold regional rankings through the first part of the spring season, while Nowakowska (No. 3) and Vargas (No. 11) are ranked for the Muleriders.
 
Southern Arkansas 6, Northwest Mo. St. 1
 
Singles competition (4,2,3,1,5,6)
1. Angela Vargas (SAU) def. Teruel, Tania (NWMSU-W) 7-6, 6-4
2. Alenicheva, Vera (NWMSU-W) def. Joanna Nowakowska (SAU) 6-4, 6-2
3. Sarah Roy (SAU) def. Ferrando, Marta (NWMSU-W) 1-6, 6-0, 6-1
4. Lena Milosevic (SAU) def. Aliseda, Julia (NWMSU-W) 6-1, 6-3
5. Anaelle Lepinay (SAU) def. Schaaders, Zoe (NWMSU-W) 6-4, 5-3, retired
6. Simone Simas (SAU) def. Lovig, Tess (NWMSU-W) 6-2, 6-2
 
Doubles competition (1,2,3)
1. Angela Vargas/Lena Milosevic (SAU) def. Ferrando, Marta/Teruel, Tania (NWMSU-W) 6-0
2. Alenicheva, Vera/Aliseda, Julia (NWMSU-W) def. Sarah Roy/Simone Simas (SAU) 6-1
3. Anaelle Lepinay/Kalley Smith (SAU) def. Lovig, Tess/Schaaders, Zoe (NWMSU-W) 6-2
 
The Muleriders return to play on Wednesday as they host Emporia State at 2 p.m. from the Live Oaks Tennis Courts.