Press Release
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – On Tuesday, the Great American Conference announced the results of its 2021 women’s tennis preseason poll. Harding edged out Southern Arkansas as the favorite following a vote of the league’s head coaches.
The Lady Bisons totaled 33 points, two ahead of the Muleriders. Both Harding and SAU received three first-place votes. Southeastern Oklahoma State earned one first place vote.
Harding had posted a 14-5 record in the abbreviated 2020 season. Rylie Cox Evans posted a 15-2 record from the No. 1 singles spot and paired with the returning Hanna Folse to produce a 14-4 mark as Harding’s top doubles tandem. Sisters Lindy, Allison and Emily Carpenter also return, as does Rachel McCrae to give Harding all of its six regular singles players back in the lineup.
The Muleriders started 5-1 in 2020 capped by a 6-1 win against No. 22 Northwest Missouri State. They return four regulars from their top six singles players in Angela Vargas, Lena Milosevic, Sarah Roy and Simone Simas. They combined for a 20-3 singles record. Vargas and Milosevic partnered up for two doubles wins.
The Savage Storm placed third, one point ahead of Arkansas Tech. Southeastern features India Shiaelis, a 2019 All-GAC honoree. The Golden Suns return its top doubles team of Michelle Khoo and Aastha Dargude that produced a 6-1 record.
Daniela Baez, a 2019 All-GAC Second Team went a combined 9-6 in singles play.
Henderson State took fifth, followed by Oklahoma Baptist and Ouachita. The Reddies’ return five regulars, including its top doubles pairing of Mulan Kamoe and Franny Nyarko. They combined for a 7-3 record. In singles play, Kamoe posted a 7-3 record from the No. 1 spot while Nyarko sported a 8-1 record between the No. 2 and No. 3 slots.
Oklahoma Baptist must replace Kim Moosbacher, the ITA National Player of the Year and the GAC Female Athlete of the Year. The Tigers welcome former Tiger Kourtney Chumbley back as their head coach. She earned all-conference honors three times, including a spot on the All-GAC First Team in 2012.
The Lady Bisons are scheduled to take to the courts first when they face UT Tyler and UT Permian Basin on Friday. The GAC will crown its league champion on April 24 with a to-be-determined format and location.
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