GOLDEN SUNS TENNIS DROPS ALL FOUR MATCHES AT
LAST WEEKEND'S GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE CROSSOVER

        RIDGELAND, Mississippi – Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Tennis dropped all four matches here last weekend at the Gulf South Conference Crossover.

Tech opened the weekend last Friday with an 8-1 loss to Alabama-Huntsville and then fell 8-1 to NCAA Division I foe, Jackson State. On Saturday, Tech dropped back-to-back 5-2 decisions to Montevallo and West Alabama. With its four losses, Tech drops to 3-4 overall on the combined fall and spring seasons.

The Golden Suns played a player short for most of the weekend as sophomore No. 1 singles player Tahnee Crous (Keller, Texas) sat out her team’s final three matches after getting sick in the team’s opener against UAH.

“It was a tough weekend for us, especially once we lost Tahnee,” Golden Suns Tennis Coach Abby Davis said. “We rebounded some on Saturday, but we just need to continue to improve and get better.”

For the weekend, junior Renee Malcuit (Lakeside, Calif.) won two matches at No. 5 singles, while sophomore Kristen Burgess (Winona, Texas) and junior Karissa Lentz (Norco, Calif.) each won a match at No. 4 and No. 2 singles respectively. Meanwhile, in doubles action, Lentz and Malcuit teamed up to win at No. 3 doubles against UAH and Lentz and Burgess teamed up to win at No. 2 doubles against West Alabama.

Alabama-Huntsville 8, Arkansas Tech 1

SINGLES

No. 1  – Mireia Fernandez (UAH) def. Puja Paul (Tech), 6-1, 6-1

No. 2  – Stacy Wetmore (UAH) def. Karissa Lentz (Tech), 7-6 (3), 6-3

No. 3  – Yugrid Alviz (UAH) def. Whitney Simmons (Tech), 7-6 (3), 6-3

No. 4  – Mar Piernavieja (UAH) def. Kristen Burgess (Tech), 6-0, 6-2

No. 5  – Candice Burch (UAH) def. Renee Malcuit (Tech), 6-2, 6-3

No. 6  – Emily Taylor (UAH) won by default

DOUBLES

No. 1  – Fernandez/Westmore (UAH) def. Crous/Burgess (Tech), 1-0, retired

No. 2  – Alviz/Piernavieja (UAH) def. Simmons/Paul (Tech), 8-2

No. 3  – Lentz/Malcuit (Tech) def. Burch/Taylor (UAH), 9-7

Jackson State 8, Arkansas Tech 1

SINGLES

No. 1  – Fungulsai Chambwe (JSU) def. Puja Paul (Tech), 6-2, 6-1

No. 2  – Valentina Prado (JSU) def. Karissa Lentz (Tech), 6-3, 6-1

No. 3  – Paulina Vargas (JSU) def. Whitney Simmons (Tech), 6-0, 6-0

No. 4  – Teegra Gross (JSU) def. Kristen Burgess (Tech), 6-2, 6-1

No. 5  – Angela Rose (JSU) def. Renee Malcuit (Tech), 6-1, 6-0

No. 6  – Geneva Warren (JSU) won by default

DOUBLES

No. 1  – Chambwe/Rose (JSU) def. Simmons/Paul (Tech), 8-1

No. 2  – Vargas/Gross (JSU) def. Lentz/Malcuit (Tech), 8-0

No. 3  – Prado/Warren (JSU) won by default

Montevallo 5, Arkansas Tech 2

SINGLES

No. 1  – Kristi Kelly (UM) vs. Puja Paul (Tech), 7-6 (5), 2-4 (DNF)

No. 2  – Shasta Brown (UM) def. Karissa Lentz (Tech), 6-3, 1-6, 6-4

No. 3  – Marnie Chiasson (UM) vs. Whitney Simmons (Tech), 6-0, 5-5 (DNF)

No. 4  – Kristen Burgess (Tech) def. Catie Cleveland (UM), 6-3, 6-2

No. 5  – Renee Malcuit (Tech) def. Laura Hamilton (UM), 6-4, 6-0

No. 6  – Ansley White (UM) won by default

DOUBLES

No. 1  – Kelly/Cleveland (UM) def. Simmons/Paul (Tech), 8-6

No. 2  – Brown/Chiasson (UM) def. Burgess/Lentz (Tech), 8-4

No. 3  – Terrylisa Abdool/Hamilton (UM) won by default

West Alabama 5, Arkansas Tech 2

SINGLES

No. 1  – Adanya Clerch (UWA) def. Puja Paul (Tech), 6-1, 6-0

No. 2  – Amy Cole def. Karissa Lentz (Tech), 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8)

No. 3  – Amy Frazier (UWA) def. Whitney Simmons (Tech), 6-4, 6-2

No. 4  – Rama Siby (UWA) def. Kristen Burgess (Tech), 6-4, 6-2

No. 5  – Renee Malcuit (Tech) def. Amanda Morgan (UWA), 6-2, 6-2

No. 6  – Not played (not enough competitors for both teams)

DOUBLES

No. 1  – Clerch/Cole (UWA) def. Simmons/Paul (Tech), 8-2

No. 2  – Siby/Frazier (UWA) def. Burgess/Lentz (Tech), 8-4

No. 3  – Not played (not enough competitors for both teams)

 Tech will return to action on March 2-3 at the Northeastern State Tournament in Tahlequah, Okla. Tech will open the tournament on Mar. 2 against Southwest Baptist at 12 p.m. and then will face Missouri Western at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, Mar. 3, Tech will play Missouri Southern at 8 a.m. and conclude the tournament at 1:30 p.m. against Southeastern Oklahoma.

-- Tech Athletics --