CONWAY, Ark. – The University of Central Arkansas tennis program suffered a tough, hard fought loss on Sunday afternoon to the North Alabama Lions. The loss drops UCA to 11-11 overall with a 3-5 conference mark.
UCA celebrated senior day with Sumomo Hamanaga prior to the match, then Hamanaga jumped right in to help UCA secure an early 1-0 lead. She and her doubles partner Vichitraporn Vimuktananda won a tiebreak 7-5 to secure the doubles point after Nanoka Kazama and Harune Shigemasu came through with a 6-4 victory.
Ting-An Chen once again stepped up for UCA, winning once more in the No. 6 spot for the Bears, her 10th victory this season in singles play. After gritting through the first set, Kazama was dominant in her second set, winning 6-2 to take home her sixth win on the season in singles play. Hamanaga fell behind early in the first set, and ultimately dropped it, 6-2, but returned the favor winning 6-2 in the second frame. Unfortunately, she could not come through on her senior day, as the UNA No. 3 singles player outlasted Hamanaga 6-3 in the third set, which clinched the match for the Lions.
UCA will head down to Florida next weekend to take on Stetson on Friday, April 12th at 10:00 a.m. and then Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday, April 14th at 10:00 a.m. as well.
UCA 3 – UNA 4
Doubles:
Vimuktananda / Hamanaga vs. Bobrovnikova/Going 7-6 (7-2)
Kazama / Shigemasu vs. Ansorge/Torres 6-4
Seohyun Park / Konomi Miyakawa vs. Karabacak/ Pruijmboom 6-4
Singles:
Vimuktananda vs. Bobrovnikova 6-2, 6-2
Kazama vs. Ansorge 6-4, 6-2
Hamanaga vs. Going 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
Miyakawa vs. Karabacak 6-4, 6-0
Shigemasu vs. Torres 6-3, 6-3
Chen vs. Serra 6-2, 6-3
