GOLDEN SUNS TENNIS COLLECTS WIN OVER SOUTHERN ARKANSAS

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Tennis returned home here Wednesday and picked up a 5-3 South Region victory over Southern Arkansas at Tech’s new Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex.

With the win, Tech improved to 6-3 overall on the season and 2-3 in the South Region.

“It was a nice region win for our team,” Golden Suns Tennis Coach Abby Davis said.

Tech opened by taking two out of the three doubles matches as they won 8-3 at No. 1 doubles and 8-2 at No. 3 doubles, but SAU prevented a Tech sweep by winning 8-3 at No. 2 doubles.

In singles, Tech clinched the win at No. 2 singles as sophomore Saki Matsuoka (Saitama, Japan) won 6-0, 6-4 at No. 2 singles to give Tech its 5-3 advantage. Junior Anna Carson (Fort Smith, Ark.) had won the first set and was tied at 4-4 in the second set at No. 1 singles when Matsuoka earned her win.

          Along with Matsuoka, junior Kristen Brown (Winona, Texas) won at No. 5 singles and senior Whitney Simmons (Pottsville, Ark.) collected a 6-0, 6-1 at No. 6 singles. SAU won the other two singles matches, No. 3 and No. 4.

          The Golden Suns will remain home this weekend when they host Northeastern State at 1 p.m. on Saturday, before facing Christian Brothers in a 1 p.m. match on Sunday.

 Results

Tech 5, Southern Arkansas 3

Singles

No 1. – Anna Carson (Tech) vs. Meaghan Ocanas (SAU), 6-2, 4-4 DNF

No. 2 – Saki Matsuoka (Tech) def. Ana Gonzalez-Dorado (SAU), 6-0, 6-4

No. 3 – Rachel Vinsant (SAU) def. Michelle Yu (Tech), 6-3, 6-4

No. 4 – Caitlin Korensek (SAU) def. Puja Paul (Tech), 6-2, 6-4

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

No. 6 – Whitney Simmons (Tech) def. Brooke Grigsby (SAU), 6-0, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1 – Carson/Matsuoka (Tech) def. Ocanas/Gonzalez-Dorado (SAU), 8-3

No. 2 – Vinsant/Korensek (SAU) def. Paul/Yu (Tech), 8-3

No. 3 – Brown/Simmons (Tech) def. Bhalla/Grigsby (SAU), 8-2

-- Tech Athletics --