MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas Men's Tennis team opened the 2021 campaign this past weekend in Arkadelphia inside the Ward Tennis Center on the campus of Ouachita Baptist. It had been over 324 days since the Muleriders last competed, but they picked up where they left off as SAU toppled Southwest Baptist 6-1 in the season opener on Friday evening. On Sunday, the Muleriders fell 4-3 in a tightly-contested match to Delta State.
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 6, Southwest Baptist 1
Muleriders: 1-0 | Southwest Baptist: 0-1
In the season opener, the SAU Men cruised to their second-consecutive win over Southwest Baptist after claiming a 4-1 win last season against the #13 Bearcats. In the win, freshmen newcomers
Ole Lukas Valkyser and
Gabriel Breitenmoser claimed a 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles to set up sophomores
Yuri Gondouin and
Marko Nikoliuk's point-clinching win at No. 1 following an SBU victory at No. 2.
In singles action, Seward County transfer
Sander Jans earned the Muleriders' second point of the match with a 7-5, 6-3 decision over SBU's Alvaro Nunez. Nikoliuk pushed SAU out front 3-0 with a victory at line three; 7-6 (7), 6-1 against David Szeri. The fourth point was won by Breitenmoser in his 6-1, 6-3 win over Youssef Nabil, while sophomore
Sofiane Bah (7-5, 6-3 vs. Fabian Neff) and Valkyser (6-4, 7-5 vs. Carlos Corser) rounded out scoring for the Muleriders in the opener.
DELTA STATE 4, Southern Arkansas 3
Statesmen: 3-0 | Southern Arkansas: 1-1
On Sunday, SAU battled the Statesmen for the second-consecutive season in Arkadelphia. DSU, a 5-2 winner last spring, edged the Muleriders 4-3 after earning a pair of tight three-set wins at No. 1 and No. 4. As they did in the opener, SAU claimed the doubles point with wins by Gondouin/Nikoliuk and Valkyser/Breitenmoser. Jans won at No. 2 in singles play as he claimed a 7-5, 7-5 in over Emile Le Terrier. At No. 6, Valkyser won 6-1, 6-1 against Emiliano Elizarraraz del Arco.
The Muleriders (1-1) return to action on Friday in Texas for a match against nationally-prominent Tyler Junior College. First-serve is scheduled for 11 a.m.
