GOLDEN SUNS DROP MATCHES LAST WEEKEND AT SOUTHERN ARKANSAS CLASSIC TO SE OKLAHOMA, HENDERSON STATE

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Tennis dropped two of its three matches last weekend at Southern Arkansas’ Spring Invitational in Magnolia, Ark.

Tech opened the two-day event by falling 5-4 to Southeastern Oklahoma on Friday, but rebounded to pick up a 6-3 Gulf South Conference victory over Southern Arkansas and then ended the event with a 5-4 loss to Henderson State.

With the 1-2 mark over the weekend, Tech’s record is not 8-7 on the season and 1-2 in the GSC. In addition, Tech improved to 4-5 in South Region matches. Southern Arkansas and Henderson State were South Region matches for the Golden Suns, who were ranked ninth in the initial NCAA D-II South Region poll last week.

Against SE Oklahoma, Tech opened the match by picking up wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, but lost 8-0 at No. 2 doubles. In singles action, Tech picked up wins at the No. 2 and No. 5 spot, but lost the other singles matches in straight sets.

          In its match against the Lady Muleriders, the Golden Suns once again picked up wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, but its No. 2 doubles team of senior Puja Paul (Kolkata West Bengal, India) and freshman Michelle Yu (Flower Mound, Texas) lost 8-0 to SAU’s No. 2 team of Rachel Vinsant and Caitlin Korensek. In singles play, Tech earned wins at every spot, expect No. 3 and No. 4, where Paul lost in straight set to Vinsant and Yu lost to Korensek in straight sets respectively.

          Meanwhile, in its final match of the two-day event against Henderson State, Tech opened with losses at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, but fell 8-1 at No. 1 doubles. In singles action, Tech won at No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6, but lost at No 1., No. 3 and No. 4 to help the Lady Reddies earn the victory.

          For the weekend, sophomore Saki Matsuoka (Saitama, Japan) went 6-0 as she was 3-0 at No. 2 singles and teamed with junior Anna Carson (Fort Smith, Ark.) to go 3-0 at No. 1 doubles, while junior Kristen Brown (Winona, Texas) went 5-1 as she was 3-0 at No. 5 singles and teamed with senior Whitney Simmons (Pottsville, Ark.) to go 2-1 at No. 3 doubles. Both Carson and Simmons each finished at 4-2 overall.  

          The Golden Suns will return to action on Tuesday, April 8, when they travel to Arkadelphia, Ark., to face Ouachita Baptist in a 2 p.m. GSC match.

          Results

SE Oklahoma 5, Arkansas Tech 4

Singles

No 1. – Deana Brooks (SOSU) def. Anna Carson (Tech), 6-2, 6-4

No. 2 – Saki Matsuoka (Tech) def. Jenny Paine (SOSU), 6-2, 6-1

No. 3 – Amber Thompson (SOSU) def. Puja Paul (Tech), 6-2, 6-4

No. 4 – Jenna Newton (SOSU) def. Michelle Yu (Tech), 6-1, 6-2

No. 5 – Kristen Brown (Tech) def. Ashley Grayson (SOSU), 6-4, 6-1

No. 6 – Sara Schmidt (SOSU) def. Whitney Simmons (Tech), 6-2, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1 – Carson/Matsuoka (Tech) def. Paine/Thompson (SOSU), 8-1

No. 2 – Brooks/Newton (SOSU) def. Paul/Yu (Tech), 8-0

No. 3 – Brown/Simmons (Tech) def. Grayson/Schmidt (SOSU), 8-1

Arkansas Tech 6, Southern Arkansas 3

Singles

No 1. – Anna Carson (Tech) vs. Ana Gonzalex-Dorado (SAU), 6-1, 6-1

No. 2 – Saki Matsuoka (Tech) def. Meaghan Ocanas (SAU), 6-2, 7-5

No. 3 – Rachel Vinsant (SAU) def. Puja Paul (Tech), 6-2, 6-4

No. 4 – Caitlin Korensek (SAU) def. Michelle Yu (Tech), 6-3, 6-1

No. 5 – Kristen Brown (Tech) def. Aneeka Bhalla (SAU), 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-2

No. 6 – Whitney Simmons (Tech) def. Megan Phinny (SAU), 6-2, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1 – Carson/Matsuoka (Tech) def. Ocanas/Gonzalez-Dorado (SAU), 8-1

No. 2 – Vinsant/Korensek (SAU) def. Paul/Yu (Tech), 8-0

No. 3 – Brown/Simmons (Tech) def. Bhalla/Phinny (SAU), 9-7

Henderson State 5, Arkansas Tech 4

Singles

No 1. – Melissa West (HSU) def. Anna Carson (Tech), 6-4, 7-5

No. 2 – Saki Matsuoka (Tech) def. Justina Gasca-Silav (HSU), 6-4, 7-6 (7)

No. 3 – Meredith Massey (HSU) def. Puja Paul (Tech), 6-3, 6-1

No. 4 – Rebecca Staton (HSU) def. Michelle Yu (Tech), 6-2, 6-1

No. 5 – Kristen Brown (Tech) def. Stephanie Schnobel (HSU) 6-2, 6-4

No. 6 – Whitney Simmons (Tech) def. Megan Harness (HSU), 6-2, 7-5

Doubles

No. 1 – Carson/Matsuoka (Tech) def. West/Schnobel (HSU), 8-1

No. 2 – Massey/Staton (HSU) def. Paul/Yu (Tech), 8-2

No. 3 – Gasca-Silav/Harness (HSU) def. Brown/Simmons (Tech), 8-0

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