CONWAY, Ark.: The race towards the Southland Conference Tournament continues as the University of Central Arkansas returns to SLC action as they begin a four-match road trip.
The Bears begin their road stint tomorrow as they head to Sam Houston before finishing up the weekend against Stephen F. Austin.
UCA enters the weekend with motivation as they 4-1 in conference play thus far. While they did drop their last match against South Florida, 4-3, the Bears will use that as a motivator to get better. The Bulls have had a successful campaign this year as most of their losses have come from ranked opponents, so that loss is nothing to scoff at. UCA was one lone victory away from sealing it as multiple players had extremely successful outings in that match. Two main contributors deserve praise from the outing: sophomore Fuka Nonoyama and freshman Paulina Engback. Nonoyama continues to impress this year, as she is 16-4 on the season, and after their match against USF, she is 2-1 from the No. 1 spot. Engback, on the other hand, is part of a comeback story, as she has played in limited matches this year. Regardless, she showcased potential, and if the same lineup is drawn up against these SLC foes, she should be able to make a splash.
Tomorrow's matchup has significant conference implications, as both teams are towards the top of the standings. Sam Houston has been dominant thus far as they are 10-2 overall with a 5-0 SLC record. Both teams will have something to prove coming into this matchup, as it could be one of the best this season. Junior Sahaja Yamalapalli leads the Bearkats as she is one of the lone players in the SLC to still be undefeated, as she currently sits at 11-0. Whether Yamalapalli matches up with sophomore Chunxi Xin or Nonoyama, it should be a good matchup as both want to prove something to the rest of the conference.
Sunday will be a little bit of a different story as the Bears have had a strong showing every year against the LadyJacks. UCA has won five straight matchups against SFA, and this year, SFA is not as strong as they were in years prior. The LadyJacks currently sit at 7-6 overall, with a conference record of 2-4. Leading the charge for the LadyJacks is freshman, Lucy Furness, as she is 7-2 this year. Furness has switched positions over the course of the year but has mainly remained in the No. 4 spot. If that stays true, the freshman will be standing across from the Bears freshman Jaeun Lee. Even though Lee lost her last matchup, she still has been playing out of her mind as she is 13-4 this season. That matchup will be the one to watch, as these two teams compete to finish out the weekend.
