GOLDEN SUNS TENNIS PERFORMS WELL AT COLLIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S FALL TOURNAMENT

        PLANO, Texas – The Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Tennis team continued its fall season here over the weekend by having several outstanding performances in the Collin County Community College Open Invitational.

Three of Tech’s six singles players advanced to the finals of their respective flights and its No. 3 doubles team of sophomores Jessica James (Lead Hill, Ark.) and Michelle Yu (Flower Mound, Texas) earned the win in the consolation finals of Flight 3 doubles.

For the weekend, seniors Anna Carson (Greenwood, Ark.) and Kristen Brown (Winona, Texas) and freshman Brittany Turner (Pearcy, Ark.) all went 3-1 in singles action as they lost in the championship of their respective flight, while sophomore Saki Matsuoka (Saitama, Japan) and James each went 2-1 in singles action as they lost in the semifinals of their respective flights. Freshman Ashley Baird (Cabot, Ark.) went 2-3 for the tournament after falling in the consolation final of Flight 6 singles.

“I was pleased with the way we played this weekend against some very good competition,” Tech Head Tennis Coach Abby Davis said. “This year’s tournament was a lot strong than last season’s and I thought our players showed themselves well.

“I think this is the best group of singles players I’ve had since I’ve been here at Tech.”

Carson lost to Oral Roberts’ Hayden Rush (6-3, 6-1) in the finals of Flight 2 singles, while Turner fell (6-1, 6-4) to Collin County’s Brittany Tobin in the finals of Flight 4 singles and Brown lost in a third-set tiebreaker (1-6, 6-2, 10-4) to Arkansas-Fort Smith’s Shawna Pohlers in the finals of Flight 5 singles. Matsuoka lost in the semifinals of Flight 3 singles to Ouachita Baptist’s Natalia Drada (4-6, 6-3, 10-8) and James fell in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) to Collin County’s Taylor Holzhnecht in the semifinals of Flight 6 singles. Baird lost in the first round of Flight 6 singles to Southwest University’s Whitney Kirishian (6-4, 6-0), but rebounded to win two Flight 6 consolation matches, before losing in the Flight 6 consolation finals to Southeastern Oklahoma’s Maria Volohkova (8-1).

Meanwhile, in doubles action, Carson and Matusoka went 2-1 at Flight 1 doubles and lost in the semifinals 8-3 to Collin County’s tandem of Jaclyn Lahari and Marie Liwuslili. In addition to Carson and Matsuoka, Brown and Turner fell 8-6 in the quarterfinals of Flight 2 doubles and James and Yu went 3-1 at Flight 3 doubles.

Tech will conclude its fall season on Saturday, Oct. 18, when they travel to Pine Bluff, Ark., to face Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a 1 p.m. dual match.

Complete Collin County Community College Fall Open results

-- Tech Athletics --