AUBURN, Ala. – The University of Central Arkansas women's tennis program kicks off its 2019 spring campaign Saturday, Jan. 19, with three matches in a two-day span at Southeastern Conference-foe Auburn.

The Bears bring back a strong core of experienced seniors who are hoping to conclude their student-athlete experience at UCA with a Southland Conference championship come April. QiLi Ma has posted a stellar 41-22 singles record during her time in Conway and she currently ranks first all-time in career singles win percentage (.723).

Rada Manataweewat, the long-time doubles partner of QiLi Ma, is another key senior for the Bears this season. The duo tallied a 15-2 record last year in doubles competition and will look to repeat that success beginning this Friday. Marli Van Heerden rounds out the seniors and will continue to provide a leadership role for the squad. She ranks seventh in program history in singles wins (46) and fourth in winning percentage (.624). During her time at UCA, Van Heerden has posted a strong 19-11 record in Southland Conference play.

The newcomers to the squad include sophomore Yada Vaspongchai as well as freshmen Mei Ishimura, Fuka Nonoyama and Chunxi (CiCi) Xin. All four of the new student-athletes will look to compliment the strong group of seniors for head coach Casey Wharton.

UCA will open its season with an 11 a.m. match against Southwestern Athletic Conference-representative Alabama A&M. After a brief break, the Bears will take on Mercer at 5 p.m.

Central Arkansas will round out the trip with a 9 a.m. match against Auburn on Sunday morning. Live stats will be provided for this match. Fans looking to follow the action can access live stats by clicking on the link above.