Feb. 17, 2016
Schedule | Match Notes | Follow @MSUBearsTennis
SPRINGFIELD - The Missouri State women's tennis team is set to play three matches in three days, as the Bears end a nine-match road stretch beginning in Texas on Friday, Feb. 19.
MSU opens its trip to Texas in Arlington with a 2 p.m. dual versus UT Arlington at the UTA Tennis Center on Friday. The Bears remain at the UTA Tennis Center for a neutral-site match against Sam Houston State at 10 a.m. Saturday, then head north to Little Rock, Arkansas, to wrap up the road trip with a 12 p.m. matchup Sunday with Arkansas Pine Bluff.
Last Match Overview
Missouri State completed weekend play at the Hendrix Indoor Tennis Center in Conway, Arkansas, by dropping a 7-0 dual to McNeese State Saturday, Feb. 13.
The Bears dropped the initial doubles point, but battled in singles with three MSU players forcing third sets. Miranda Poile and Phoebe Boeschen both forced third-set match tiebreakers, but eventually fell at No. 4 and No. 6 singles, respectively.
Khamissi Finding Singles Success
Faty Khamissi has had a strong start to her freshman campaign. Khamissi leads the team with three singles victories this spring, including her most recent 7-6 (5), 6-2 win at Central Arkansas last Saturday over Rada Manataweewat. All three of her victories have come in straight sets, while one of her four losses came in a third-set match tiebreaker.
Turudija and Poile Leading in Doubles
The Bears' No. 1 doubles team of Miranda Poile and Ema Turudija continues to be a competitive combination in dual play. The two paired up for a win at the No. 1 slot over Central Arkansas last Saturday, a team-leading second this spring. The duo defeated the Sugar Bears' Nataly Yoo and Amiru Shimoguchi, 7-5, after previously earning a 7-6 (5) win at Creighton on Jan. 31.
About UT Arlington
UT Arlington has won its first two duals this year, defeating Montana State 7-0 and Nevada 4-0. The Mavericks own a 14-match home winning streak dating back to last season, a year in which they finished 16-6 overall. The Mavericks and Bears are tied 2-2 in all-time meetings.
About Sam Houston State
Sam Houston State is 4-2 overall this season, with its lone losses to Louisiana Tech (6-1) and SMU (7-0). All six players in the Bearkats' rotation have an even or winning record in singles play this season. Maddie Mortimore holds a team-best 5-1 record at primarily No. 5 singles. MSU has won the only previous meeting between the two schools.
About Arkansas Pine Bluff
The Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions are winless in their first seven duals of the season. The Golden Lions' match versus MSU will be their first in Arkansas this year, after previously traveling to Tulsa, Oxford, Mississippi, and to Nashville. This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
Follow the Bears
Check out all the latest news and information on Bears tennis at MissouriStateBears.com and follow @MSUBearsTennis on Twitter for updates throughout the season.
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