TOPEKA, Kan. – Head Men's Tennis Coach
Greg Owen, if given the option, most likely would be unable to script a better end to the 2021 regular season than the one his Southern Arkansas Men produced this past weekend. The Muleriders topped Southeastern Oklahoma 4-3 at home on Thursday, April 8 and after leaving for Emporia, Kansas the same day, SAU used the next three days to improve to 6-1 in MIAA/GAC play with a Friday win over Emporia State (6-1) and consecutive 4-0 wins over top 20 ranked opposition in #17 Washburn on Saturday and #19 Northwest Missouri on Sunday.
The hot close of the season pushes Southern Arkansas' overall record to 12-4 and will send the Muleriders to the MIAA/GAC Tournament which will be played in Edmond, Oklahoma, on Friday, April 30 through Sunday, May 1.
In the match against Southeastern Oklahoma, the first of four straight, Southern Arkansas claimed the doubles point with victories by
Yuri Gondouin/
Marko Nikoliuk and Ole Valkyser/
Gabriel Breitenmoser. Highlighting the singles action was the Muleriders' #34
Sander Jans topping the Savage Storm's #15 Juan Scoppetta 7-6 (4), 6-3. Victories at No. 4 and 6 for the Muleriders sealed SOSU's fate as sophomore
Sofiane Bah clinched the match for SAU.
On Friday, SAU cruised to its third straight league win with a 6-1 showing against Emporia State. Gondouin moved to No. 1, Valkyser won in three sets at No. 3 and
Iker Brull won at No. 5 with a 6-1, 6-4 decision over Theo Belmonte; Brull's first action of the '21 season.
The next two matches were impressive showings for Owen's bunch. The Mulerider Men won the doubles point in Saturday's showdown with the nationally-ranked Ichabods as Breitenmoser/Valkyser won at No. 3, while Jans/Bah, the #21-ranked doubles team in the country, stopped WU's #12 duo of Bradley Eidenmueller and Seabastian Pjontek 6-2. Jans then defeated #24 Raul Dicu 6-3, 6-3, while Nikoliuk and Bah claimed wins in singles action as well.
The weekend was capped on Sunday with a second-straight 4-0 win over a nationally-ranked opponent as the Muleriders dismissed the MIAA North Division-leading Bearcats. After claiming the doubles point, Gondouin, Bah and Valkyser put away NWMU with wins which saw the former win in three sets after dropping the first frame. Jans' battle with #6 Andrea Zamurri went unfinished with the match tied at a set apiece.
