MAGNOLIA, Ark. – SAU Tennis continued its weekend swing on Saturday at the Live Oak Tennis Courts in front of an animated crowd that outlasted low 40s weather to support their Muleriders. The #11 Southern Arkansas Men, the highest national rank awarded to the program in its young NCAA Era, toppled #44 Midwestern State 4-0, while the SAU Women battled, but fell short to #23 Midwestern State 4-0.
The Mulerider Men (8-1) claimed the point in a spirited doubles sequence that saw SAU win at No. 2 to open and then No. 1 to clinch.
Stuart Rehfuss and
Sofiane Bah won 6-4 over MSU's Brice Bradshaw and Quentin Scharfenberg.
Sander Jans and
Marko Nikoliuk won the point with a 7-5 decision over the Mustangs' Ben Westwick and Alex Martinez Roca which entering the match held the No. 2 doubles ranking nationally and had been beaten just once in nine trips to the court together.
Yuri Gondouin and
Ole Valkyser played out the action at No. 3 and won 7-6 (6) over Jean Muniz and Stephen Slocombe.
Jans worked quickly against Westwick at No. 1 winning 6-2, 6-2 to open singles play. Nikoliuk won in three sets over Muniz 6-0, 5-7, 7-6 at No. 3 and Valkyser toppled Charles Heffernan 6-4, 6-1 at No. 4.
SAU's men are now 18-1 all-time at the Live Oak Tennis Courts. The Mulerider Men continue their program record start to the campaign and in their last three trips to the court they have not surrendered a point. Southern Arkansas hosts MIAA-GAC foe Newman on Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Southern Arkansas Women (1-5) battled in the doubles action holding firm before falling 6-4 at both No. 1 and No. 3. Inna Serukhova and
Greta Wallin held their own against MSU's #26 Anda Ghinga and Hannah Yip at No. 1, while
Lena Milosevic and
Simone Simas fought hard against #31 Casie Curry and Emilija Visic at No. 2.
In singles action, No. 1 Milosevic forced a third set against #40 Ghinga that would go unfinished after wins by the Mustangs at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 clinched the match. SAU will host #30 Newman on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Fans can follow a four-court stream of the action on Sunday at
www.youtube.com/MuleriderSports.
