MAGNOLIA, Ark. - The Mulerider Tennis team is getting back on the road this week for two matchups in Clinton, Mississippi where they will take on Mississippi College and West Alabama.
The Mulerider Women hold a 7-4 overall record this season and recently secured their first nationally ranked win, defeating No. 31 UT Tyler 4-3 at home on the Live Oak Tennis Courts. Sophomore Amelie Gindl, ranked No. 7 in the nation, is on a five-match singles win streak, while Josie Holderbach, ranked No. 31, has claimed seven consecutive singles victories. Maria Fiacan also appears in the national singles rankings at No. 65. In doubles, Inna Serpukhova and Roksana Kokocha have been dominant, winning their last six matches and consistently helping the Muleriders secure the doubles point.
The Mulerider Men, currently ranked No. 44 in the nation, hold a 7-4 overall record and recently swept their first conference match against Arkansas Fort Smith last weekend. Senior Tim Fischer is ranked No. 47 nationally in singles, while Frode Neumann sits at No. 64. The team also boasts two nationally ranked doubles pairings, Fischer and Mathys Pinoit at No. 26, and Neumann and Jinsei Tajima at No. 50. Additionally, Tajima and senior Lluc Pasqual are both riding five-match singles win streaks.
On the women's side, the Muleriders edged out Mississippi College in their last meeting, with sophomores Kokocha and Gindl playing crucial roles in securing the victory. The Choctaws, currently ranked No. 15 in the nation, hold a 9-3 overall record, boasting wins over Great American Conference opponents such as Harding, Henderson State, and Arkansas Tech. Mississippi College features two nationally ranked singles players, Emma Roberts at No. 26 and Rocio Martinez Azcarraga at No. 35. Roberts also holds a national doubles ranking alongside Ana Julissa De Mata at No. 40, while the duo of Anna Hudson and Alizee Ripolles is ranked No. 49.
The last time the Mulerider Women faced West Alabama was in 2023, when they fell 4-0. The Tigers are 6-3 overall this season and currently ranked No. 27 in the nation, with Valentina Multiba and Shaira Rivera holding the top national ranking in doubles.
On the men's side, the Choctaws enter the matchup against the Muleriders ranked No. 23 in the nation. The two teams last met in the spring of 2023 at the Live Oak Tennis Courts, where the Muleriders fell 4-1. This season, Mississippi College holds a 7-5 overall record, with Alex Benichou Blanchard ranked No. 4 nationally in singles and Mathieu Strauss at No. 36. In doubles, Rafael Sabio and Gustavo Tedesco are ranked No. 38.
The Muleriders last faced West Alabama in the spring of 2023, with the Tigers securing a 4-1 victory. West Alabama currently holds a 3-7 overall record. Eita Ishikawa is ranked No. 53 nationally in singles, while the Tigers have two nationally ranked doubles pairings, Federico Iturbe and Jacob Tapia at No. 20, and Afonso Portugal and Tomas Almeida at No. 42.
The Mulerider men will take on the Choctaws at 10 a.m. on Wednesday (March 19) while the women's match is scheduled for 2 p.m. Both the men's and women's teams will face the Tigers at 10 a.m. on Thursday (March 20).
