Razorback Tennis Hosts No. 23 Tulsa

November 7, 2014

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas men’s tennis team will host No. 23 Tulsa on Thursday at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center with first serve scheduled for 6 p.m. The Razorbacks (5-2) have won five straight matches, including victories over Wichita State, Purdue and Cowley College last weekend. Tulsa (6-2) comes into Fayetteville off a 5-2 win over then-No. 22 Texas A&M.

Junior Blake Strode, currently ranked No. 76 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, is riding a five-match win streak and has won seven of nine matches this spring. Strode is 11-6 this season in singles action and leads UA with 13 doubles wins. He and Colin Mascall have won five of six during the spring and are 11-5 this season.

The Razorbacks continue to get contribution from freshmen Chris Nott and Matt Hogan. Nott leads Arkansas with 16 wins this season and holds a 4-1 dual record, including two match-clinching wins last weekend against Purdue and Wichita State. Hogan, the mid-season addition from Australia, is 7-1 since joining the team in January.

The Golden Hurricane are led by No. 44 Ricardo Soriano and the ranked doubles teams of fifth-ranked Ross Cunningham and Andy Connelly and No. 16 Soriano and Arnau Brugues. Tulsa also holds a 4-2 record against ranked opponents this season.

This will be the 20th matchup between Arkansas and Tulsa since 1985 with the Razorbacks claiming a 16-3 record during that span. Tulsa won both matches last season—4-0 at the ITA Central Region Indoor Team Playoff and 6-1 in the teams’ dual on TU’s home court. Arkansas, similarly, won two matches, with Tulsa in 2006.

Including Tulsa, seven of the next eight opponents for Arkansas are ranked. The match against the Golden Hurricane will be the Razorbacks’ last home match until March 7 when UA returns to Fayetteville to face No. 29 Vanderbilt.

Admission for Thursday’s match is free and pizza will be available to fans during the break between doubles and singles action. Log on to www.hogwired.com for complete results and continued coverage of UA tennis.