MAGNOLIA, Ark. - The wait is over for the Mulerider Women's Tennis team as they prepare to open their 2025 season with a pair of exhibition matches in Ruston, Louisiana. The squad is set to hit the courts for their first matches of the year as they are to face Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Louisiana Christian Wildcats on Saturday, January 25.
The team seeks to build on last year's success and make a strong statement in their opening performance this Saturday. The first serve against the Bulldogs is scheduled for 10 a.m., followed by the match against the Wildcats at 4 p.m.
Louisiana Tech | Jan. 25, 2025, 10:30 am | 1-2 Overall
This will be the third consecutive year that the Muleriders take on Louisiana Tech and the second year in a row they face each other in an exhibition match. The Bulldogs have started their 2025 season 1-2, claiming their first win of the season against Wyoming while falling to both Arkansas State and Tulsa.
Head Coach Amy Sargeant is in her second season at Louisiana Tech and led her team to a 15-9 overall record last year. The top returner for the Bulldogs is senior Ana Rodrigues who is in her fourth season playing for the Bulldogs. Rodrigues has primarily played at the No. 2 position last season in singles and at the No.1 and No. 2 spot in doubles. Another key returner is sophomore Zoie Epps who was named Conference USA Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week after going 3-0 in singles last week. The rest of Tech's lineup is practically brand new, aside from sophomore Soha Singh.
Louisiana Christian | Jan. 25, 2025, 4 pm | 0-0 Overall
For the second consecutive year, the Muleriders and Wildcats will face off in an exhibition match to kick off the season. Louisiana Christian enters the season under the leadership of second-year Head Coach Alexandra Starkova. Last year marked the program's return following its reinstatement, with the team concluding the 2023-2024 campaign with a 6-14 overall record. Last spring the Wildcats earned their first home win since 2017 after sweeping DI Grambling State.
The Wildcats bring back five players from last season's roster, including their top performers, senior Patricia Principal Pineda and sophomore Alexandra Cedeno, along with two new additions to the squad.
