EDMOND, Okla. – GAC No. 2 Southern Arkansas stumbled in the opening round of the MIAA-GAC Tournament as MIAA No. 1 Washburn took down the Muleriders 4-2. Saturday morning's contest was a rematch and a battle of Top 20 teams with SAU ranking No. 19 and the Ichabods entering the postseason ranked No. 20.
 
Washburn claimed the doubles point with a 6-3 win at line two as the SAU pair of sophomores Yuri Gondouin and Marko Nikoliuk lost for just the second time this season. At No. 3, freshmen Ole Valkyser and Gabriel Breitenmoser fell 6-4 which staked the Ichabods to an early 1-0. No. 21 Sander Jans and Sofiane Bah's match with WU's Bradley Eidenmueller and Sebastian Pjontek was left unfinished with the Mulerider duo up 6-5.
 
In singles play, Jans dropped a top 35 battle to Raul-Alin Dicu 6-3, 6-2. Jans entered the match ranked No. 34 nationally, while Dicu holds the No. 24 ranking. Gondouin fell 6-3, 6-2 to No. 37 Miquel Perez.
 
The first of Southern Arkansas' two points on the afternoon came courtesy of Breitenmoser at line six as he dismissed Marc Roura Casi 6-4, 6-2. The aforementioned defeats of Gondouin and Jans pushed Washburn up 3-1, but Nikoliuk earned the Muleriders' second point with a 6-4, 6-2 decision over WU's Paul Haase.
 
Needing a point at No. 4 to force the match to a seventh point, Valkyser was edged by Eidenmueller 6-3, 6-4. Bah won his first set at No. 5 over Daniel Bird 6-5 before the match was left unfinished.
 
Southern Arkansas, the top ranked team in the Central Region entering the tournament, awaits its postseason fate. The four-team field will be determined on Sunday and the NCAA Regional action will commence in Edmond next week. More information on the Muleriders' seeding and opponent will be made available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.