MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The stage will be as big as it can get and the central Florida heat will undoubtedly be as sweltering as it usually is in mid-May. Those two things haven't changed since then first-year head coach Greg Owen carried his Mulerider Men's Tennis program, in its first year of NCAA action, to Altamonte Springs as one of the nation's top 16 teams vying for the DII national title in 2019. However, there is something that will be different from that first trip three seasons ago. This time around, Owen carries a seasoned squad to the Sunshine State hungry to make a run against the nation's best. There is no slipper. This isn't a Cinderella story. This is all about opportunity and earning a rightful place at the top of the pecking order that is NCAA DII Men's Tennis.  
 
Southern Arkansas (20-5), which entered NCAA postseason play ranked #13 in the country, opens up national tournament action on Wednesday at 7 a.m. CT in the Orlando suburb of Altamonte Springs and as the championship's No. 12 seed, the Muleriders will matchup against No. 5 seed Embry-Riddle (18-5), which began its postseason run as the nation's #5 ranked squad.
 
SAU punched its ticket to the national tournament with a 4-0 win over MIAA-GAC foe Northwest Missouri, which held the region's No. 3 seed and was ranked #21 in the country, in the Central Region Tournament. It was the Muleriders' third NCAA regional appearance.
 
In 24 matches this spring, the Muleriders were tested and Owen's bunch did not shy away from the competition. Of the twenty-one Division II matches, nine were contested against teams that advanced to NCAA Tournament play. Of those nine, four have come against teams joining SAU at the national tournament.
 
The Muleriders dropped a close mid-March match at #1 Columbus State, the tournament's top seed. SAU fell 7-0, but nearly claimed the doubles point and saw three singles line end in a third set. CSU's Round of 16 opponent Cameron fell to the Muleriders in a 4-0 decision on February 12. SAU twice faced league foe Ouachita, losing both times in closely-contested affairs. The Tigers hold the tournament's No. 11 seed.
 
Making up the aforementioned seasoned squad, which includes three doubles teams and six singles player that were selected as All-MIAA/GAC honorees, are three players that were members of Owen's inaugural team that competed at the national tournament. Seniors Stuart Rehfuss and Yuri Gondouin and junior Marko Nikoliuk all three battled top-seeded Barry in the 2019 Round of 16.
 
Rehfuss, ranked #58 among DII singles players, holds a 17-4 singles record operating primarily from the No. 2 spot in Owen's lineup. Gondouin has claimed eight singles wins this season and Nikoliuk, the #22 ranked player in Division II, is a team-best 22-9 in singles play and has earned the team's second-most doubles wins this season with 18. Nikoliuk, along with Sander Jans who is ranked #74 nationally, are the nation's #10 ranked doubles team. In singles play, Jans has won 18 times this season.
 
The Muleriders' No. 4 player, Ole Valkyser, is in the midst of a phenomenal campaign in his second season at SAU. The German is 19-5 in singles play and 22-5 in doubles action with most of those victories coming alongside Matthew Tennant who has won nine singles matches and 14 doubles contest. One of the Muleriders' toughest matchups is No. 6 player Sofiane Bah who is 13-7 in singles play and 18-10 in doubles action.
 
Embry-Riddle is in the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time in program history. The Eagles cruised through the South Regional with 4-0 wins over #32 Florida Southern and #9 Lynn to advance to the national tournament and enter having won their last three matches and 10 of their past 12.
 
This season ERU has been led by Juan Ortiz Couder who is ranked #6 nationally and Alexis Guedy who holds the #11 ranking in the country. Ortiz Couder entered May with 13 Division II wins, while Guedy entered with 16 such wins. Two doubles teams highlight the Eagles' successes as well as Andres Donayre and Ortiz Couder are ranked #23 nationally, while Ortiz Couder's partnership with Luke Paschal has the pair ranked #32.
 
Wednesday morning's winner will take on the victor between No. 4 Wayne State and No. 13 Southern New Hampshire in the national quarterfinals.
 
Fans, can follow live scoring of the matchup at https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=roll.