MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas Women's Tennis team is set for its home opener on Saturday in Magnolia. The Muleriders welcome in #21 Mississippi College for an 11 a.m. start from the Live Oak Tennis Courts. On Sunday, SAU heads to Dallas to battle Texas-Permian Basin at 11 a.m. Live streaming of the Muleriders' home match against the Choctaws is available at
www.youtube.com/@MuleriderSports.
The Muleriders (2-0) took care of Dallas Baptist in Arkadelphia to start the season with a 5-2 victory. The next day, SAU went south to Shreveport and handed then-#23 Angelo State a 4-2 defeat.
Josie Holderbach and
Amelie Gindl are 2-0 as doubles partners in the early part of the spring season. Holderbach is unbeaten at No. 3 singles,
Annika Berrendorf is undefeated at No. 2 singles with her three and a half hours long, 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-5 triumph in the ASU match giving SAU the win over the nationally-ranked Rambelles.
Tamiya Lintz clinched the victory for the Muleriders in the season opener with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 6 singles.
Southern Arkansas played both of its weekend opponents last season. The Muleriders lost 4-2 to the Choctaws last February in Magnolia in the first matchup between the two programs. SAU defeated UTPB 6-1 in Magnolia last March and won 7-0 over the Falcons in mid-February 2019.
Mississippi College enters ranked #21 nationally. MC dropped a close match to Division I Jackson State 4-3 to open the spring. The Choctaws cruised past Harding 7-0 and beat UT-Tyler 5-2. Ana Julissa De Mata Rodriguez is 3-0 in singles play at No. 5, while Emma Roberts is unbeaten on the year at No. 3. Both players are perfect in doubles action with their teammates Gabrielle Geolier and Maria Rodriguez, respectively.
UTPB is 3-1 on the season and matches up with GAC foes Southeastern Oklahoma and Harding, before battling the Muleriders on Sunday. The Falcons' Brooke Runyan and Paige Bott were both named Lone Star Conference Players to Watch entering the 2024 season.
Since 2018-19, the first year of competition under current head coach Greg Owen, the Muleriders are 25-10 at home which included a winning streak of 17 to open play at the renovated Live Oak Tennis Courts. The Muleriders have finished with a winning home record in four of Owen's previous six seasons.
