ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas Women's Tennis team opened its season on Tuesday in Arkadelphia. The Muleriders spent the day battling a pair of Great American Conference foes in non-league action which resulted in SAU toppling Ouachita 7-0, before falling 4-3 at Henderson State in a match that saw four singles lines advance to a third set. Southern Arkansas (1-1) prepares to take on JUCO power Tyler Junior College in an 11 a.m. exhibition match on Friday, February 5 in east Texas.
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 7, Ouachita 0
Muleriders: 1-0 | Ouachita: 0-1
The Muleriders opened the 2021 campaign nicely as
Greg Owen's squad swept the doubles action, while only one singles line advanced to a third set. Returners
Angela Vargas (6-4, 6-1 Line 1 win over OUA's Makeilah Turner),
Sarah Roy (6-3, 6-3 Line 2 win over OUA's Haylee Cannon),
Serena Gill (6-2, 6-1 Line 3 win over OUA's Shelly Davilus) and
Kalley Smith (6-4, 6-4 Line 5 win over OUA's Taylor Hansard) all picked up singles victories, while newcomers
Honoka Yoshimura (6-0, 2-6, 6-3 Line 4 win over OUA's Clarisa Valenzuela) and
Haylie Hunger (7-5, 6-4 Line 6 win over OUA's Keelan Williams) picked up wins in their collegiate debuts.
HENDERSON STATE 4, Southern Arkansas 3
Reddies: 1-0 | Muleriders: 1-1
In just the second matchup between the two teams since the Muleriders revived their program for the 2018-29 season, Henderson State bested SAU 4-3 in a tightly-contested affair. Gill and Yoshimora won 6-2 over the Reddies' Georjemah Row and Vinda Teally, but HSU claimed victories and the first and third doubles to take an early lead.
Vargas won for the second time on Tuesday as she locked up a top line victory with a 7-5, 6-2 decision over HSU's Mulan Kamoe. Gill and Yoshimora won at lines three and four, respectively, with Gill defeating HSU's Franny Nyarko 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 and Yoshimora coming back to win 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 over Henderson State's Erica Jaggernauth. Defeats at lines two, five and six, with opening set wins at lines two and five plagued Southern Arkansas in its first loss against a GAC opponent since the program's reboot.
