Women's tennis opens season in Houston

FAYETTEVILLE – The No. 36 University of Arkansas women’s tennis team begins their spring season this week by competing against three different schools at the Galleria Tennis and Athletic Club in Houston, Texas. The Razorbacks will compete against Prairie View A&M and UT – Pan American on Saturday, and face Lamar in two matches on Sunday. 

The weekend will present an excellent opportunity for the young Razorback squad to open the non-conference part of the schedule. Arkansas features just two players with previous collegiate experience: returning senior Claudine Paulson, and sophomore Sarah McLean, a transfer from Florida International. Seven freshmen comprise the rest of the squad, including four freshmen who were ranked as the 12th best incoming class in the nation and gained valuable fall experience. Three new freshmen joined the Razorbacks for the spring season and are poised to make their collegiate debuts this weekend. 

“We had some bright spots in the fall,” Arkansas head coach Michael Hegarty said. “Our expectations for the season are really high. We have a really talented team across the board. We want to maximize our abilities as best we can, and we’re heading in the right direction.”

This weekend will provide the Razorbacks with an excellent opportunity to get some early season experience. The four matches in two days give the team a chance to use multiple lineup combinations and earn valuable experience. 

“We’d like to play a lot of tennis, stay healthy, and come back with a lot of success,” Hegarty said. “We want to use this weekend to get a look at our doubles combinations. This weekend we’ll get plenty of competition and take a look at lot of new things.”

The first match for the Razorbacks is at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday against the Prairie View A&M Panthers.

Full recaps and results will be posted online following each day of play.