MAGNOLIA, Ark. – With temperatures in the low 90s throughout the afternoon and a humidity level hovering over 50%, it would be tough to imagine Monday's NCAA Division II Central Regional from the Live Oak Tennis Courts being any warmer especially for early May. However, enter fourth-year head coach Greg Owen's #13 Muleriders who employed an even hotter effort in its third matchup with #21 Northwest Missouri this spring which resulted in a 4-0 dismissing of the Bearcats to earn the program's second trip to the NCAA DII Men's Tennis Championship in the past four seasons. 
 
Monday's result served as win No. 20 for Southern Arkansas this season and is one of the biggest in the program's young NCAA history as it sends the Muleriders back to the 16-team national tournament which is to be contested May 17-22 from Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Florida; the site of the Muleriders' first trip to the big dance in the program's inaugural season of NCAA action in 2019.
 
Southern Arkansas, which had previously topped NWMSU twice in 2022 with a 7-0 win in Magnolia on March 7 and a 4-2 victory on April 27 in the semifinals of the MIAA-GAC Tournament, jumped out to a 1-0 lead after claiming the doubles point which was full of back and forth action at all three lines.
 
Ole Valkyser and doubles teammate Matthew Tennant defeated Northwest Missouri's Fabien Calloud and Franco Oliva 6-4 at line three to set up Stuart Rehfuss and Sofiane Bah's 6-3 point-clinching win at line two over NWMSU's Mason Meier and Simon Birgerson.
 
Leading 1-0, the Muleriders turned to its All-MIAA/GAC singles lineup to send the squad to the Sunshine State. At No. 3, #12 Marko Nikoliuk made quick work of Calloud 6-2, 6-2 and the Muleriders would hold a 2-0 advantage for nearly an hour before Valkyser edged Meier 7-5 in the opening play at line four and then topped his opponent 6-2 to send SAU out front and in control at 3-0.
 
The ticket-punching clinch could have come at two different spots as Rehfuss, who was operating from line two, and Yuri Gondouin, who controlled the action at line five, each won a set one tiebreaker to carry the momentum into what would end as a decisive match set. Gondouin was leading 5-4 as #58 Rehfuss rallied to win 7-5 in set two over #31 Franco Oliva and send the squad into a celebratory frenzy.
 
The Muleriders along with the other 15 teams that will chase a national championship in central Florida will be reseeded by the national committee. Stay up-to-date with SAU's run to the national tournament at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.