Arkansas Tech University and Harding University will meet for a match at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex today (Monday, April 2) that could determine the inaugural Great American Conference women’s tennis regular season champion.
The Golden Suns (10-5 overall, 2-0 GAC) and the Lady Bisons (16-4, 2-0) will begin their match at 1 p.m. Admission will be free and open to the public.
Arkansas Tech has won five consecutive matches, including 9-0 conference wins at Southern Arkansas on Friday and at Southeastern Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Harding has won four straight matches. The Lady Bisons have earned GAC wins over Southern Arkansas and East Central University.
Today’s match will mark the second meeting between Tech and Harding this women’s tennis season. The Golden Suns defeated the Lady Bisons 5-4 in a non-conference match at Searcy on March 16.
Harding took 2-of-3 doubles matches in that first meeting, but Arkansas Tech rallied to win 4-of-6 singles matches and claim the overall victory.
The Lady Bisons were named favorites to win the GAC women’s tennis title in a preseason poll of league head coaches. The Golden Suns were picked to finish second in that preseason poll.
Both institutions are attempting to break long droughts in terms of women’s tennis conference titles this season.
Harding’s last league championship in women’s tennis came in 1994 when it captured the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference title. Arkansas Tech’s lone women’s tennis conference championship came one year later when the Golden Suns won the 1995 AIC crown.
Both teams will still have three regular season conference matches remaining after today, but the winner of their head-to-head meeting will have the inside track to the GAC title.
Click here to learn more about Arkansas Tech tennis.
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