MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The first full week of April has arrived and it's a big one for both of fifth-year head coach
Greg Owen's Mulerider tennis programs. The Muleriders are set to play host to Southeastern Oklahoma State on Thursday at 1 p.m. from the Live Oak Tennis Courts, before traveling to Searcy on Saturday for matchups with Harding at 2 p.m. Live coverage links will be available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
The Mulerider Women (7-12) are eyeing their first Great American Conference victory after being narrowly edged 4-3 by Arkansas Tech on March 14. SAU is 1-2 against SOSU (3-10) since the start of the former's first rebirth season of 2018-19. The Muleriders hold a 2-4 record against Harding (8-11) in that same time and have suffered four straight losses to the Lady Bisons. SAU's last wins against either of this week's opposition came back in the team's magical championship season of 2018-19.
Junior
Sarah Roy ranks as the No. 58 singles player in Division II. The Frenchwoman has earned six singles victories as Owen's line one player this spring. True freshman
Annika Berrendorf is 8-1 in her last ten singles matches and has totaled a dozen wins this season all of which have come from line three. Senior
Lena Milosevic has won five straight matches in singles play and is 9-1 in her last ten. She has totaled a dozen individual victories this spring. Junior
Greta Wallin is 5-3 in her last ten singles efforts with eight total wins on the year; five of which have come from line four.
In doubles play, Wallin and partner
Kalley Smith lead the team with nine wins with Milosevic and Berrendorf following with eight wins.
The SOSU Women snapped a nine-match losing streak with a 5-2 road victory against Arkansas-Fort Smith. Harding has won two-straight matches both of which were over league foes. The Lady Bisons beat Ouachita 5-2 and Henderson State 4-3. Rachel McCrae, Lina Romero, Karli Roux and Jing Yang have all won 10+ singles matches this season dating back to the fall. McCrae and doubles partner Ashley Nilsson are 2-0 in GAC play with a team-best eight doubles victories overall.
The Southern Arkansas Men (6-11) need victories in both matches this week in order to keep their postseason chances alive. The Muleriders, ranked No. 45 in the most recent ITA Division II rankings, are 4-0 against the Savage Storm (10-6) since first meeting as GAC opponents in the 2018-19 season. SAU has won twice over SOSU at home. Southern Arkansas is 4-2 against No. 48 Harding (8-7) in that same span and have won their previous two matchups. SAU was shutout in its only appearance against the Bisons in Searcy.
Sander Jans and
Ben Schneider are ranked No. 15 in DII doubles play. The duo has won three of its five matches at line one this spring and have provided some stability for Owen's lineup.
Gabriel Breitenmoser and
Ole Valkyser have also been solid in doubles play winning once at No. 2, while picking up five victories at No. 3. The pair holds a 6-3 record in their past ten such contests.
Jans holds the No. 23 ranking behind a 7-5 record playing a tough top line. Valkyser leads the team in singles victories totaling nine with three coming from both the No. 2 and No. 4 position, two from line three and a single win in his only effort at No. 5. First semester Mulerider
Mathieu Wierniezky has won eight times in singles play across lines two, three and four. He enters the weekend having won his past two matches.
Tim Fischer matches Jans in wins with seven highlighted by five victories at line two.
SOSU is coming off a tight 4-3 win against No. 32 Washburn in MIAA-GAC play. The Savage Storm dropped the doubles point and lost at singles lines one and two, but won their efforts at lines three through six to take the match over its North Division foe. Stipan Madzar is ranked No. 69 in singles play.
Harding's Cas De Ruiter and Cian Mikkelsen are ranked No. 11 in the country and are an unbeaten 13-0. The pair of Dani Ortiz and Teodor Zlatar are ranked No. 27 and as singles players, Ortiz is No. 15 with Zlatar ranked No. 16.
