TULSA, Okla. – The University of Central Arkansas tennis program faced its biggest challenge of the young season with a veteran Tulsa squad. Ultimately, the Hurricanes got the better of the Bears, but the young UCA squad should benefit from the experience in the long run.
UCA showed some fight early, as Tulsa won two close doubles matches to take an early point. After getting shut out in the first set of singles play, Sumomo Hamanaga fought in the second set before ultimately falling to the No. 4 singles player for the Hurricanes. The highlight of the afternoon came in the final match of the day, as senior Fuka Nonoyama upset No. 125 Oleksandra Nahurska for Tulsa. While this was not the result that UCA was hoping for, the experience could help them late in the season when conference play comes around. The Bears unfortunately fall to 0-3 all-time against Tulsa.
UCA will return to action on Friday, February 2nd against Missouri State and Kansas City in Springfield, Missouri with the time still to be determined.
UCA 1 – Tulsa 6
Doubles:
Nanoka Kazama / Nonoyama vs. Berlanga/Hutchings 6-1
Hamanaga / Vichitraporn Vimuktananda vs. Singh/Zelenchuk 7-5
Konomi Miyakawa / Harune Shigemasu vs. Wilmot/Naranjo Martinez 7-5
Singles:
Vimuktananda vs. Berlanga 6-3, 6-0
Nonoyama vs. No. 125 Nahurska 7-5, 7-6 (7-3)
Kazama vs. Hutchings 6-3, 6-4
Hamanaga vs. Naranjo Martinez 6-0, 7-5
Miyakawa vs. Zelenchuk 6-0, 6-2
Ting-An Chen vs. Wilmot 6-1, 6-3
