No. 18 Razorbacks Ready For SEC Road Tests
Live Stats (Kentucky) | Live Stats (Vanderbilt)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 18 Arkansas will hit the road this weekend to battle a pair of top 15 Southeastern Conference opponents.
The Razorbacks will face No. 11 Kentucky at 5 p.m. Friday in Lexington, before taking on No. 5 Vanderbilt at 1 p.m. Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee.
Quotable
“We have two big opportunities for us on the road this weekend,” head coach Michael Hegarty said. “Both Kentucky and Vanderbilt are having special seasons. So we can expect a very high level of play both days.”
Last Time Out
Arkansas hosted a pair of top 25 conference foes last weekend. The Razorbacks battled back and forth with No. 1 Florida before the Gators narrowly edged out the 4-3 victory Friday in a contest that featured three ties and four lead changes. Despite winning the doubles point, Arkansas fell 4-2 to then-No. 24 South Carolina on Sunday.
In The Rankings
The Razorbacks earned a spot in the top 20 of the national team rankings for the fifth straight week, maintaining its No. 18 status. Arkansas is one of six schools in the SEC with at least three players ranked in singles and at least one duo ranked in doubles. Senior co-captain Shannon Hudson is tops on the team with a No. 48 ranking in singles. Sophomore Ana Oparenovic is ranked No. 115 while junior Léolia Jeanjean is No. 121. Arkansas’ No. 1 doubles team of Hudson and freshman Giulia Pairone owns a No. 38 ranking in doubles.
Double-Digit Singles Wins
Arkansas is one of just two schools in the SEC to have five players with double-digit singles wins this spring. Jeanjean (13), Natsuho Arakawa (12), Mia Jurasic (11), Hudson (10) and Pairone (10) have each posted 10 or more victories and helped the Razorbacks total a 72-30 mark as a team.
Jurasic’s Strong Weekend
Jurasic went 2-0 in singles against the Gators and Gamecocks, including a three-set victory against No. 22 Anna Danilina of top-ranked Florida. With the pair of wins, Jurasic improved to 11-4 this spring and extended her win streak to five matches.
Jeanjean Among SEC Leaders
Jeanjean, who has competed primarily at the No. 3 singles spot this spring, is a team-leading 13-2 (4-1 SEC). She is one of eight players in the SEC with 13 or more dual-match singles wins.
Freshman Success
The rookie duo of Pairone and Arakawa has combined to post a 22-7 dual-match singles record. Pairone has a 10-3 mark, while Arakawa is 12-4. Arkansas and No. 12 Auburn are the only two schools in the SEC to have multiple freshmen with 10 or more dual-match singles wins.
Doubles Dominance
Arkansas has been impressive in doubles play throughout the season, totaling a record of 33-15. The Razorbacks are 14-1 this spring when winning the doubles point.
Up Next
Following the weekend, Arkansas will return to Fayetteville to host No. 3 Georgia on April 7 and No. 23 Tennessee on April 9 for Senior Day.
For more information on Arkansas women’s tennis, follow @RazorbackWTEN on Twitter.
