CONWAY, Ark. - Fresh off of a clean sweep in an instate doubleheader, the Bears search for the opportunity to trounce their opponents up north as they battle two Missouri foes in Columbia, Missouri. 

It has been an excellent week for UCA, as they took two matches from a pair of talented squads, and sophomore Maja Gledic claimed the first-ever ASUN Player of the Week Award in program history. The goal now is to ride that momentum into Columbia as they battle Southeast Missouri State and Mizzou in a doubleheader tomorrow. 

This afternoon showcase begins in the morning as the Bears will go toe-to-toe with the Redhawks first. UCA is ready to battle a familiar foe in a unique environment as this is the sixth matchup of the two squads since 2012. All-time, the series belongs to the Bears as they head into the match, hoping to grab their sixth straight win against them as they hold the series lead at 5-0. The latest installment in the franchise happened last year as the Bears squeaked out a tight contest 4-3. In that contest, the doubles point made the difference as the two sides split the results of the singles. So two teams to watch will be Gledic/freshman Sumomo Hamanaga and senior Yada Vasupongchai/junior Mei Ishimura. Gledic/Hamanaga are currently 2-0 on the season, while Vasupongchai/Ishimura is 4-4. These two teams will be essential because if the Bears want to continue their hot streak they need to get on the board early. 

The second matchup of the day will be the tougher of the two tasks as they battle the University of Missouri on their home court. The Bears and the Tigers have slowly begun an annual rivalry, as this will be the third time they face off in the last two years. Against Mizzou, UCA had two close calls last year as they dropped both matches 4-3. The doubles point was the difference-maker in both of those matches as the singles portion was split right down the middle. So similar to the Redhawks match, it will be pivotal to rely on some of the best in duos. However, to even get the chance, the Bears will need some motivational play in singles to compare to their Power 5 counterparts. Juniors Chunxi Xin and Fuka Nonoyama will play a big part in this, as last year they both went 1-1 in the squad's doubleheader. Freshman Nicole Ross will also play an expanded role with sophomore Jaeun Lee out. Ross claimed her first career match victory against Arkansas State and will look to seize that momentum as she battles stiff competition up north. These players will have massive roles in the result and will showcase everything they got tomorrow. 

Tomorrow, this doubleheader will start at 9 a.m. against SEMO and carry on to 2 p.m. against Mizzou.