TYLER, Texas – The Southern Arkansas Men's and Women's Tennis teams got their fall season kicked off this weekend in east Texas at the Tyler Invitational hosted by the University of Texas at Tyler and Tyler Junior College. Head Coach Greg Owen saw a successful start to their fall season as their 2024-2025 squad collected a couple of individual flight titles.
The 2024 ITA Central Region Rookie of the Year, Amelie Gindl, started her sophomore season by claiming the Flight 1 Singles title. Gindl defeated Mississippi College's Elena Roberts 6-3, 6-0 in the first round followed by a win against TJC's Yee Ching Wai with 6-0, 6-4 to secure her spot in the final. On the other half of the Flight 1 bracket, 2024 All-GAC Second Team member, Josie Holderbach, started with a 6-2, 6-2 win against Mississippi College's Ann Cabot Stockett which was then followed by a great win against Central Oklahoma's Pete Komada with 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 to then see her doubles partner Gindl in the final. Gindl and Holderbach showed off a tough battle against each other in which Gindl won 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 14-12.
Newcomer Maria Fiacan competed for the first time as a Mulerider this weekend and claimed the Flight 2 Singles title. She started with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Central Oklahoma's Hui Yii Soo, followed by a 6-1, 6-1 win against UT-Tyler's Kanika Sivaraman before claiming the flight title with a victory against UT-Tyler's Allison Schwartz 6-3, 5-7, 11-9.
Jinsei Tajima had a great start as a part of the Blue & Gold by capping off his first fall tournament with a Flight 2 Singles title. He took care of UT-Tyler's Malo Poulesquen 6-4, 6-3 followed by a 6-2, 6-3 win against TJC's Jacopo Cianfarini and then claiming the title by UT-Tyler's Jordi Garcia in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.
Other great performances over the weekend include junior Amber Young finishing in 3rd place in Flight 3 Singles, while Frode Neumann placed 4th in Flight 1 singles. Young and her partner Roksana Kokocha had a great run in Flight 3 doubles where they ended up in 2nd place. Freshman Lucas Ibanez claimed his first collegiate win by taking care of business against TJC's Ouga Miyazaki 7-6 (8-6), 6-3.
The Mulerider Men and Women are back in action next weekend at the Marty Berryman Memorial Tournament in Plano, Texas hosted by Collin College (Sep 13 - Sep 14).
