Razorbacks Get Road Win At UC Riverside
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Dominant from start to finish, the Arkansas women’s tennis team swept UC Riverside 7-0 on Friday at the SRC Tennis Center.
The Razorbacks won doubles with victories at the top two spots and then cruised in singles, clinching the match with wins at No. 3, 5 and 1. With the win, Arkansas improved to 3-0 overall on the season, while UC Riverside fell to 0-1.
“It’s always confidence building to win on the road, especially this early in the season,” head coach Michael Hegarty said. “We are building some momentum, and we are eager for more opportunities.”
In doubles, freshman Natsuho Arakawa and sophomore Agne Cepelyte struck first with a 6-0 win at the No. 2 position. The tandem of senior co-captain Shannon Hudson and junior Léolia Jeanjean then clinched the opening point with a 6-1 win at the top spot.
The Razorbacks continued to roll in singles action and wasted little time in claiming victory. Arakawa made quick work of her opponent at No. 3 and was first off the court for the third consecutive match, winning 6-0, 6-1. Cepelyte followed with a 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 5, before No. 98 Hudson sealed the overall match victory, winning 6-1, 6-2 at No. 1.
Notable
• Arkansas did not relinquish a set en route to the 7-0 victory.
• The Razorbacks won the doubles point for the third straight match.
• In doubles, the duos of Arakawa/Cepelyte and Hudson/Jeanjean each improved to 3-0 on the season.
• Arakawa won her eighth straight singles match and improved her overall record to 11-3 dating back to the fall.
• Cepelyte and Hudson each improved to 3-0 in dual match singles action.
• Each of Hudson’s three singles victories have come at the No. 1 position.
• Hudson has won eight of her last 10 singles matches dating back to the fall.
• Jeanjean, senior co-captain Sasha Shkorupeieva and junior Peyton Jennings each earned straight-sets victories after the clinch to close out scoring.
Up Next
Arkansas will head to Pepperdine University on Saturday for the ninth annual ITA Kick-Off Weekend. The No. 2 seed Razorbacks will meet No. 3 seed NC State on Saturday after No. 1 seed and third-ranked Pepperdine opens the tournament against No. 4 seed UNLV. The two winners advance to Sunday’s championship match, while the two losing teams will square off in a consolation match.
Arkansas vs. NC State
Saturday, Jan. 28, at 4 p.m. CT
Malibu, California | Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center
Live Stats will be updated at the bottom of Tournament Central
Arkansas vs. Pepperdine or UNLV
Sunday, Jan. 29, at TBD
Malibu, California | Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center
Live Stats | Tournament Central
About ITA Kick-Off Weekend
The ninth annual ITA Kick-Off Weekend takes place Jan. 27-29, at 23 different Division I tennis facilities across the country. In all, there are 60 teams competing per gender in the weekend’s events. There are 15 regionals played on both the men’s and women’s side, with four teams competing in each regional. The winners of the single-elimination event advance to next month’s ITA Division I National Team Indoor Championships. Yale (women’s) and Virginia (men’s) will serve as hosts for the National Team Indoors.
For more information on Arkansas Women’s Tennis, follow @RazorbackWTEN on Twitter.
