Hogs’ women’s team opens season at home Tuesday

FAYETTEVILLE — Coming off the program’s ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last 12 years, No. 18 Arkansas will open its 2018 dual match season Tuesday at home against Tulsa.

First serve is set for 1 p.m. at George M. Billingsley Tennis Center.

Quotable
“It’s always nice to start the spring season at home,” Coach Michael Hegarty said. “Tulsa has another outstanding team this year and these are the kind of quality matches we need early in the spring.”

Promotions
Admission is free. Tuesday’s match will feature complimentary Keurig products, popcorn and Pepsi soft drinks for all fans in attendance.

Live Coverage
Fans can follow Tuesday’s action through live scoring here.

The Series
Arkansas holds a 25-6 advantage over Tulsa in the all-time series dating back to the 1979-80 season. Last season, the Razorbacks defeated the Golden Hurricane, 6-1, at Tulsa.

In The Rankings
One of nine SEC teams featured in the top 25, the Razorbacks’ No. 18 ranking is their highest since opening at No. 14 in 2009.

Individually, senior Léolia Jeanjean is ranked No. 67 in singles and No. 25 in doubles with her partner sophomore Giulia Pairone. Senior Mia Jurasic and junior Ana Oparenovic are the nation’s No. 57 ranked doubles duo.

Hegarty At The Helm
Hegarty is entering his 15th season as coach of the Razorbacks.

Hegarty, who is the program’s all-time winningest coach with 197 victories, has led the Razorbacks to nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including three straight.

2017 Review
Last spring, the Razorbacks’ went 18-10 (7-6 SEC) and defeated 11 teams featured in the final 2017 national rankings, including No. 14 Auburn, No. 16 Texas A&M, No. 21 LSU and No. 24 Tennessee.

Arkansas checked in at No. 19 in the final rankings after holding a spot in the top 20 in each of the last 10 weeks of the season.