LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – There's no place like home. The Central Arkansas tennis team took advantage of their first two home matches of the season by defeating the UMKC Kangaroos 6-1 and the Arkansas State Red Wolves 6-1 in a doubleheader on Friday morning. The Bears (5-4) enjoyed one of their most successful days of the season in nonconference play. Fuka Nonoyama and Marli Van Heerden improved to 5-2 in doubles play while Rada Manataweewat improved to 7-2 in singles play.
 
UCA 6, UMKC 1
 
Starting the match down 1-0 did not phase the Bears as they dominated the Kangaroos in singles play. Nonoyama, Mei Ishimura, Van Heerden and Yada Vasupongchai all enjoyed sweeps of their opponents while Manataweewat defeated Grace Ball 5-7, 7-6, 1-0 (10-6). The wins improved all Central Arkansas active players to .500 or better records on the year.
 
In doubles play, Ishimura and Vasupongchai's chemistry was on full display as they blanked Ball and Thea Dassy 6-0. Chunxi Xin made her first appearance of the season with Manataweewat as they took a hard fought 7-5 win.
 
UCA 6, ASU 1
 
The Bears relentless play carried over into the afternoon as they clawed past the Red Wolves. Vasupongchai made quick work of her opponent and gained Central Arkansas' first point with a 6-3, 6-0 win. Ishimura also swept her opponent 6-3, 6-4 to improve to 6-3 on the season. Manataweewat overcame an early 2-6 set loss and took the next two 6-2, 6-2 to continue her hot singles play.
 
Xin and Van Heerden took a narrow 7-6 win over Anita Detlava and Berta Masdevall Masip to finish 2-0 on the day. Nonoyama and Manataweewat closed the match for the Bears with a 7-5 victory to conclude doubles play.
 
Head Coach Casey Wharton was proud of his team's success and felt lucky to leave the day with two wins.
 
"The matches were much closer than the scores would say," Wharton said. "I feel that we snuck away with almost all the close matches going our way. I never felt that at any moment we were going to run away with either match."
 
Wharton was especially proud of his No. 1 Nonoyama's performance and said that she "played really hard and managed to win some really good matches."
 
UP NEXT
 
The Bears will jump back on the road for a February 23-24 weekend slate in Missouri with matchups against Missouri and Missouri State to wrap up nonconference play.