Arkansas looks for third win on road trip to Indiana

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Aiming for its third straight victory, Arkansas’ women’s tennis team will take on Purdue in a 2 p.m. CT match on Friday at the Schwartz Tennis Center.

Match Day Information
Matchup: Arkansas (5-2) at Purdue (5-3)
Date: Friday, Feb. 17
Location: West Lafayette, Ind. (Schwartz Tennis Center)
First Serve: 2 p.m. CT
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Quotable
“We look forward to another great match with Purdue,” head coach Michael Hegarty said. “It’s been 4-3 the past two seasons. So we know we will need to bring everything we can to earn a great result.”

The Series
This will be just the fifth meeting between the two programs, with Purdue holding a 3-1 record. Arkansas won last year’s contest 4-3. The Razorbacks claimed the doubles point and earned three victories in singles for the team win.

Last Time Out
Arkansas got a big 4-3 road victory at Kansas last Saturday. The Razorbacks won the doubles point and then took three matches in singles to claim the overall victory. The match also featured the successful debut of highly touted freshman Giulia Pairone, who was first off the court with victories in both singles and doubles action.

Purdue is coming off a 4-3 setback to DePaul at home last Sunday.

Ranked Razorbacks
Senior co-captain Shannon Hudson and sophomore Ana Oparenovic each earned spots in last week’s Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Division I Women’s National Singles Rankings. Hudson surged 51 spots to a career-best No. 47, while Oparenovic entered the rankings for the first time this spring at tied for No. 103. Hudson owns a 9-4 overall singles record with a 4-2 mark in dual match play this season, while Oparenovic is 8-4 overall and 2-1 in dual matches.

Leading The Way
Natsuho Arakawa owns a team-best 14-4 overall record, including a 6-1 mark this spring. The freshman standout is also 9-1 in her last 10 matches dating back to the fall. In doubles, Arakawa and sophomore Agne Cepelyte lead the way with a 7-1 overall record, including a 4-1 mark in dual matches.

Up Next
Following the weekend, Arkansas will return home for a Monday doubleheader. The Razorbacks are set to face Wichita State at 1 p.m., before taking on Cornell at 6 p.m.

Monday’s Promotions
•  Both matches will feature complimentary Keurig coffee, pizza, popcorn and Pepsi products for all in attendance.

•  The first 50 fans at the 6 p.m. match against Cornell will receive an Arkansas women’s tennis T-shirt.