GOLDEN SUNS TENNIS SPLITS ITS TWO HOME MATCHES FRIDAY

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Tennis split its two matches here Friday at the Tech Tennis Classic held at Old Post Park.

Tech opened the three-team tournament with an 8-1 victory over the University of the Ozarks and then concluded the tournament with a 6-3 loss to Southern Arkansas in a Gulf South Conference match. The other match at the tournament was a 9-0 win by Southern Arkansas over the University of the Ozarks.

Against U of O, Tech opened by sweeping all three doubles matches by winning two of them by identical 8-4 scores and then won at No. 2 doubles by a score of 8-3.

In singles action, Tech suffered its only loss at No. 1 singles as U of O’s Olivia Fisher collected a 3-6, 6-1 (8) win over Tech sophomore Tahnee Crous (Keller, Texas). Tech also needed a third-set tiebreaker to win at No. 2 singles as junior Puja Paul (Kolkata, West Bengal India) defeated Robin Gattis, 6-4, 5-7 (5). The other four singles matches Tech won in straight sets as they outscored SAU, 48-7.

Meanwhile, against the Lady Muleriders, Tech dropped all three doubles matches, including losing at No. 2 by a score of 8-5 and losing at No. 3 by a score of 8-6.

Tech kept the match in doubt until the end as they won at No. 4 and 5 singles in straight set and won at No. 2 in a tiebreaker, while SAU earned the win thanks to its win at No. 1 singles in a third set tiebreaker. SAU also won at No. 3 and No. 6 singles.

With the split, Tech’s record moved to 5-15 overall on the season and the loss to SAU dropped Tech’s mark to 0-4 in the GSC.

The Golden Suns will return to action on Monday when they welcome Christian Brothers to Russellville’s Old Post Park for a 12 p.m. non-conference match. 

RESULTS

Tech 8, University of Ozarks 1

SINGLES

No. 1  – Olivia Fisher (Ozarks) def. Tahnee Crous (Tech), 3-6, 6-1 (8)

No. 2  – Puja Paul (Tech) def. Robin Gattis (Ozarks), 6-4, 5-7 (5)

No. 3  – Karissa Lentz (Tech) def. Lea Rana (Ozarks), 6-3, 6-2

No. 4  – Kristen Burgess (Tech) def. Brittany Hein (Ozarks), 6-0, 6-0

No. 5  – Whitney Simmons (Tech) def. Heather Hartlerode (Ozarks), 6-0, 6-1

No. 6  – Renee Malcuit (Tech) def. Jessalyn Halsted (Ozarks), 6-0, 6-1

DOUBLES

No. 1  – Paul/Lentz (Tech) def. Fisher/Rana (Ozarks), 8-4

No. 2  – Burgess/Crous (Tech) def. Gattis/Hein (Ozarks), 8-3

No. 3  – Simmons/Malcuit (Tech) def. Hartlerode/Halsted (Ozarks), 8-4

Southern Arkansas 9, University of Ozarks 0

SINGLES

No. 1  – Rachel Vinsant (SAU) def. Olivia Fisher (Ozarks), 8-1

No. 2  – Nelly Tualla won by default over Robin Gattis (Ozarks)

No. 3  – Tami Chadick (SAU) def. Lea Rana (Ozarks), 8-5

No. 4  – Anneka Bhalla (SAU) won by default over Brittany Hein (Ozarks)

No. 5  – Caitlin Korensek (SAU) def. Heather Hartlerode (Ozarks), 8-3

No. 6  – Megan Phinny (SAU) def. Jessalyn Halsted (Ozarks), 8-1

No. 7  – Candice Little (SAU) def. Jennifer Fretwell (Ozarks), 6-3, 6-4

DOUBLES

No. 1  – Vinsant/Chadick (SAU) def. Fisher/Rana (Ozarks), 9-8 (2)

No. 2  – Tualla/Korensek (SAU) def. Gattis/Hein (Ozarks), 8-1

No. 3  – Bhalla/Phinny (SAU) def. Hartlerode/Halsted (Ozarks), 8-0

Southern Arkansas 6, Tech 3

SINGLES

No. 1  – Rachel Vinsant (SAU) def. Tahnee Crous (Tech), 6-1, 3-6, 6-0

No. 2  – Puja Paul (Tech) def. Nelly Tualla, 3-6, 7-6 (1) ret.

No. 3  – Tami Chadick (SAU) def. Karissa Lentz (Tech), 6-3, 6-4

No. 4  – Kristen Burgess (Tech) def. Aneeka Bhalla (SAU), 6-2, 6-3

No. 5  – Whitney Simmons (Tech) def. Caitlin Korensek (SAU), 6-4, 6-3

No. 6  – Megan Phinny (SAU) def. Renee Malcuit (Tech), 7-5, 6-4

DOUBLES

No. 1  – Vinsant/Chadick (SAU) def. Paul/Lentz (Tech), 8-0

No. 2  – Tualla/Korensek (SAU) def. Burgess/Crous (Tech), 8-5

No. 3  – Bhalla/Phinny (SAU) def. Simmons/Malcuit (Tech), 8-6

-- Tech Athletics --