GOLDEN SUNS TENNIS OPENS SPRING SEASON WITH ROAD
VICTORY AT HENDRIX COLLEGE

        CONWAY, Arkansas – The Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Tennis opened the spring portion of its 2007-08 schedule here Tuesday by collecting a 7-2 win over Hendrix College.

Tech, who improved to 2-0 on the season, showed a little early rust in the match as it lost at No. 2 doubles and trailed after the first sets at both No. 1 and No. 2 singles, before rebounding to post wins in five of the six singles matches to earn the victory.

“I’m really proud of our players for battling back from their early struggles and earning this win,” Golden Suns Head Tennis Coach Abby Davis said. “They showed a lot of heart and intensity.”

The Golden Suns opened the match by collecting wins at No. 1 (8-4) and No. 3 doubles (8-2), but fell 8-6 in No. 2 doubles as Hendrix’s tandem of Hannah Jackson and Anne French defeated Tech senior Puja Paul (Kolkata Bengal, India) and freshman Michelle Yu (Flower Mound, Texas).  

 In singles, Hendrix picked up a second win at No. 6 as Kristi Vo defeated senior Renee Malcuit (Lakeside, Calif.) in a super tie-breaker, 6-2, 3-6, 11-9. Sophomore Saki Matsuoka (Saitama, Japan) needed three sets to defeat Caitlin Stevens at No. 1 (2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3) and Paul needed three sets to dispatch Jackson at No. 2 (2-6, 6-4, 6-3). In No. 3 singles, Yu also needed three sets to collect a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over French. Senior Whitney Simmons (Pottsville, Ark.) and junior Kristen Brown (formally Burgess) each collected straight set wins at No. 4 and No. 5.

Tech will return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 19, when they travel to Searcy, Ark., to face Harding in a 2 p.m. non-conference match.

Results

Arkansas Tech 7, Hendrix 2

Singles

No 1. – Saki Matsuoka (Tech) def. Caitlin Stevens (Hendrix), 2-6; 7-6 (6); 6-3

No. 2 – Puja Paul (Tech) def. Hannah Jackson (Hendrix), 2-6; 6-4; 6-3

No. 3 – Michelle Yu (Tech) def. Anne French (Hendrix), 6-3; 3-6; 6-2

No. 4 – Kristen Brown (Tech) def. Sabine Glawischning (Hendrix), 6-2; 6-1

No. 5 – Whitney Simmons (Tech) def. Abby Cape (Hendrix), 6-2; 6-2

No. 6 – Kristi Vo (Hendrix) def. Renee Malcuit (Tech), 6-2; 3-6; 11-9

Doubles

No. 1 – Anna Carson/Matsuoka (Tech) def. Stevens/Glawischning, 8-4

No. 2 – Jackson/French def. Paul/Yu (Tech), 8-6

No. 3 – Simmons/Brown (Tech) def. Cape/Liz Blackman, 8-2

-- Tech Athletics --