Razorbacks sweep past Wichita State, Saint Louis

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas improved to 4-3 on the year, picking up wins over Wichita State and Saint Louis Saturday at the Billingsley Tennis Center.

Arkansas opened with a 4-3 win over the Shockers, despite getting behind and losing the doubles point.

In singles, Arkansas won three straight courts to take a 3-1 lead, before the Shockers made it interesting.

Up 4-1 in the third set on court three, freshman Josh Howard-Tripp fell to Murkel Dellien 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) to tie the match at 3-3.

Freshman Pedro Alonso earned a 6-4 third set win on court four to give Arkansas the match.

In the second match of the evening, shorthanded, the Billikens started the match forfeiting court three in doubles, giving Jose Salazar and Howard-Tripp the win.

Arkansas won 6-1 on court one and 6-4 on court two to take the doubles point.

In singles, the Billikens forfeited court six, allowing Arkansas to go up 2-0.

The Razorbacks won four straight courts to take the 6-0 lead and the match. Saint Louis got a 7-5, 7-5, win on court five to make it 6-1.

Pedro Alonso picked up his first two collegiate wins Saturday, defeating Wichita State’s Miroslav Herzan 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, before defeating Saint Louis’ Kenji Yanaba 6-2, 6-1.

Freshman Alex Reco extended his winning streak to three straight matches, picking up a win on court five against Wichita State’s Andrea Trapani 6-3, 6-1.

Senior Jose Salazar has a team-best four match winning streak, after earning a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Marius Frosa (Wichita State) and a 7-5, 6-4 win over David Ferragut (Saint Louis).

Arkansas 4, Wichita State 3

Singles Results – Order of finish (1,5,6,2,3,4)
1. #113 Jose Salazar (AR) def. Marius Frosa (WSU) 6-1, 6-0
2. Haru Inoue (WSU) def. Adam Sanjurjo (AR) 7-5, 6-4
3. Murkel Dellien (WSU) def. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Pedro Alonso (AR) def. Miroslav Herzan (WSU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4
5. Alex Reco (AR) def. Andrea Trapani (WSU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Jose Alonso (AR) def. Eddie Stoica (WSU) 6-1, 6-3

 Doubles – Order of Finish (1,3)
1. #27 Murkel Dellien/Marius Frosa (WSU) def. Adam Sanjurjo/Pedro Alonso (AR) 6-2
2. Jose Salazar/Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) def. Eddie Stoica/Haru Inoue (WSU) 5-3 uf
3. Andrea Caligiana/Miroslav Herzan (WSU) def. Alex Reco/Branch Terrell (AR) 6-4

Arkansas 6, Saint Louis 1

Singles Results – Order of finish (6,4,3,1,2,5)
1. Jose Salazar (AR) def. David Ferragut (SLUM) 7-5, 6-4
2. Adam Sanjurjo (AR) def. John Nogalski (SLUM) 0-6, 6-1, 6-4
3. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) def. Oscar Pachon (SLUM) 7-6, 6-1
4. Pedro Alonso (AR) def. Kenji Yanaba (SLUM) 6-2, 6-1
5. Justin Nogalski (SLUM) def. Josh Bortnick (AR) 7-5, 7-5
6. Jose Alonso (AR) def. No player (SLUM), by forfeit

Doubles – Order of Finish (1,3,2)
1. Adam Sanjurjo/Pedro Alonso (AR) def. John Nogalski/Justin Nogalski (SLUM) 6-1
2. Branch Terrell/Alex Reco (AR) def. David Ferragut/Oscar Pachon (SLUM) 6-4
3. Jose Salazar/Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) def. No player/No player (SLUM), by forfeit

Tigers’ hot shooting simply too much for Hogs

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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BATON ROUGE, La. — Despite shooting 55.0 percent from the floor, Arkansas fell on the road Saturday afternoon 94-86 to LSU.

Arkansas made 26 of its final 35 shot attempts, but the Razorbacks had a hard time stopping LSU from behind the arc.

The Tigers went 15-of-30 from behind the arc, getting 47.9 percent of their scoring production from deep.

Arkansas did a good job early of protecting the paint, making it difficult for LSU to get the ball inside.

Arkansas forced five early turnovers, leading to a pair easy lay-ups. The Razorbacks outscored the Tigers 12-4 in the paint at one point in the second half.

This would force LSU to start taking shots from the outside, where the Tigers would sink six of their first 13 shots from behind the arc, to give the Tigers a 28-16 lead.

LSU went on a 10-0 run, as Arkansas went on a five minute, 10 second scoring drought.

Arkansas would rattle off a 7-0 run to cut the Tiger lead to five, but LSU would go into the break up eight, 43-35.

Senior forward Trey Thompson was big for Arkansas in the first half, leading the Hogs with nine points and three rebounds.

To start the second half, Arkansas and the Tigers would trade baskets, as LSU would stretch their lead to as many as 13, hitting four of their first five three-point attempts in the period. Arkansas would hang around though.

Down nine, Arkansas went on a quick 5-0 run to cut the Tiger lead to four with a Barford three.

That is as close as Arkansas would get. Senior guard Daryl Macon would lead Arkansas with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting, to go with five assists and two rebounds.

Macon becomes the first Razorback since Corliss Williamson in 1994-95 to record five straight 20-point efforts.

Barford followed with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists. After scoring nine in the first half, Thompson finished with 11 points, while senior guard Anton Beard tied him with 11 of his own.

Freshman Daniel Gafford was the fifth Razorback to finish in double figures, scoring 10.

Arkansas returns home on Tuesday to host the South Carolina Gamecocks at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

Razorbacks’ dominant day closes meet at Texas Tech

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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LUBBOCK, Texas — Top-ranked Arkansas closed out the weekend at the Texas Tech Open in Lubbock, Texas on Saturday with a dominant day on the track, while senior Nikki Hiltz placed in the top-10 at the Millrose Games Women’s Wanamaker Mile in New York City.

Arkansas began the day with the 400 meter dash, as junior Payton Chadwick made her 2018 debut in the event with a time of 53.74 to place her in the top 25 in the 400.

It’s the first time she’s appeared in the event since the Arkansas qualifier in 2016. The Razorbacks had the top-three collegiate finishers in the event, with Morgan Burks Magee and Sydney Hammit finishing third and fifth, respectively. Burks Magee’s time of 53.77 set a new personal record for the third time this season in the 400 meter dash.

Sophomore Jada Baylark was Arkansas’ lone event winner Saturday, taking the title in the 200 meter dash with a time of 23:52. Junior Kiara Parker finished third in the event to join Baylark as the top two collegiate finishers in the race. Burks Magee finished fifth and set a new PR with a time of 24.07.

Millrose Games Women’s Wanamaker Mile
Senior Nikki Hiltz finished ninth in the Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile in New York Saturday, finishing with a time of 4:33.44. Hiltz set a new personal record in the mile in New York, cutting over a second off of her previous personal record of 4:34.57.

Texas Tech Open
February 3, 2018
Sports Performance Center (Lubbock, Texas)

400 Meters
2. Payton Chadwick – 53.74
3. Morgan Burks Magee – 53.77
5. Sydney Hammit – 55.35
9. Sydney Davis – 55.98
14. Joy Ripslinger – 57.50

800 Meters
2. Ruth Wiggins – 2:13.12

200 Meter Dash
1. Jada Baylark – 23.52
3. Kiara Parker – 23.66
5. Morgan Burks Magee – 24.07
9. Janeek Brown – 24.24
11. Tamara Kuykendall – 24.37

Up Next
The Razorbacks return home for the Tyson Invitational next Friday and Saturday inside the Randal Tyson Indoor Track Center.

Murphy places 37th at USATF Cross Country Championships

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Arkansas freshman Ryan Murphy placed 37th at the 2018 USATF Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on Friday, finishing the race with a time of 32:43.30.

Murphy was one of two collegiate athletes in the race, along with Richmond’s Miles Clikeman, who finished 35th.

A cross country and track and field team captain at Linn-Mar high school in Marion, Iowa, Murphy was in contention for a spot on Team USA’s North American, Central America and Caribbean Cross Country Championships team, but just missed the top-25 finish required to be eligible for contention.

Murphy utilized a redshirt his first season as a Razorback last fall, but earned a pair of state title in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in 2016 prior to coming to Arkansas.

Murphy is a former New Balance All-American in the 5K off a top-three finish and a three-time All-State cross country honoree.

Arkansas opens spring season at TPC Sawgrass

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas opens its spring campaign on Monday morning, traveling to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, to compete in the Sea Best Invitational at Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass.

The 15-team field is the first of six regular season spring tournaments for the Razorbacks, who posted a victory, two runner-up finishes and three top-five performances during the fall season with a 45-11 head-to-head record.

Arkansas enters its championship season ranked No. 20 in the country by Golfstat and No. 25 by Golfweek.

Arkansas returns to the Sea Best Invitation for the third straight year after finishing fourth in the event a year ago.

Nearly half the field is ranked among the top 30 teams in the nation, with four of those programs coming from the Southeastern Conference.

The 6,873-yard par 70 Dye’s Valley Course will feature 36 holes on Monday, Feb. 5, before closing out play with the final round on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Monday’s shotgun start will begin at 7 a.m. Live scoring is available at Golfstat.com or via the Golfstat Live app.

The Razorbacks enter the spring with a perfect blend of veteran experience and young talent.

Alvaro Ortiz is the lone senior of the team and is coming off his second straight runner-up finish at the Latin America Amateur Championship two weeks ago after posting a fall stroke average of 69.8, good for second on the team and the No. 2 position in the lineup.

Mason Overstreet enters his second collegiate championship season in the No. 1 position after recording his first victory in the fall at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate.

He posted a blistering 69.2 stroke average in five fall events with four top 20 finishes, including three top 10 performances.

Overstreet made national headlines on the amateur tour in December as well, playing in the prestigious Patriot All-America Invitational and torching a loaded field by six shots.

Sophomores William Buhl (71.5) and Luis Garza (72.6) will occupy the third and fourth positions in the lineup, while mid-year transfer Tyson Reeder will make his Razorback debut in the No. 5 spot after spending his first two seasons at Oklahoma State.

Freshman Landon Ernst will compete in the event as an individual after seeing action in two tournaments during the fall season.

The Razorbacks have been one of the most consistent teams in the country during the last decade, as coach Brad McMakin has led Arkansas to 10 consecutive NCAA Regional bids and five NCAA National Championship appearances.

The Rundown
Schedule: Feb. 5-6 | 36 holes on Monday, 18 on Tuesday
Course: Dye’s Valley Course | Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Yardage: 6,873 – Par 71
Format: Play 5, count 4
Last Year’s Champion: Florida (-4)

Razorback Lineup
1. Mason Overstreet, So. (69.2)
2. Alvaro Ortiz, Sr. (69.8)
3. William Buhl, So. (71.5)
4. Luis Garza, So. (72.6)
5. Tyson Reeder, R-So.
IND. Landon Ernst, Fr. (72.8)

The Field
No. 20 Arkansas
Campbell
No. 23 Duke
East Carolina
No. 7 Florida
Jacksonville
Liberty
Lipscomb
No. 11 LSU
No. 24 North Carolina
No. 27 North Florida
South Florida
No. 28 Tennessee
USC Upstate
Winthrop

Arkansas to play in Armed Forces Classic in El Paso

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will participate in one of the unique events in college basketball next year, opening the 2018-19 season on Nov. 9 in the Armed Forces Classic at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

Arkansas will renew a storied rivalry in the game, taking on the Texas Longhorns for the 155th time in program history.

The annual event, now in its seventh year, will take place on the United States mainland for the first time since its inception in 2012.

“We are honored to participate in the Armed Forces Classic next year,” said head coach Mike Anderson. “Any chance we get to honor our service men and women by playing at a military base is a great opportunity to give back to people that sacrifice so much for our freedom.”

The game will be televised on ESPN as part of the network’s America’s Heroes: A Salute to Our Veterans initiative honoring the men and women who are serving and who have served in the United States military, both at home and abroad.

“In the continued spirit of honoring our men and women in uniform and their families we are excited to bring the Armed Forces Classic to Fort Bliss in El Paso,” said Clint Overby, vice president of ESPN Events. “We are looking forward to being on the base and having an opportunity to say “thank you” in person and stage what should be an outstanding basketball game.”

The Razorbacks and Longhorns have a storied history that started in 1924 as Southwest Conference rivals and the two teams played for 68 consecutive seasons until Arkansas entered the Southeastern Conference in 1991-92.

The Razorbacks lead the all-time series 86-67, including a victory last season at the Toyota Center in Houston as part of the Lone Star Shootout.

Smith named to SEC football leadership council

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Arkansas junior defensive lineman T.J. Smith will represent the Razorbacks on the SEC Football Leadership Council, which convenes at the league office Friday and Saturday.

The Football Leadership Council consists of one football student-athlete from each of the SEC’s 14 institutions and is one of three components of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council.

The other two consist of representatives on the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Leadership Councils.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey introduced new Student-Athlete Leadership Councils in 2016 for the sports of football and men’s and women’s basketball which, in addition to the conference’s longstanding Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), provide student-athletes with additional opportunities to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff.

The councils serve as a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience and student-athlete wellness.

Among the agenda items for the group this weekend is a review of NCAA and SEC legislative items, open discussion on topics submitted by members of the Council, and engagement with football officials on rules of the game and student-athlete/referee interaction.

Marcus Spears, SEC Network analyst and former SEC football student-athlete, will also meet with the group to discuss leadership and career development.

Recent legislation passed by representatives from Autonomy Conferences that increased the allowance provided to student-athletes who serve as hosts for visiting recruits was initially proposed by the SEC Football Student-Athlete Leadership Council last year.

A native of Moultrie, Georgia, Smith started all 12 games last season, recording 26 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and one fumble forced.

In addition to Smith, the student-athletes who comprise the SEC Football Leadership Council are: Josh Casher (Alabama), Derrick Brown (Auburn); Jeremiah Moon (Florida), Charlie Woerner (Georgia), Jordan Griffin (Kentucky), Blake Ferguson (LSU), Javon Patterson (Ole Miss), Gerri Green (Mississippi State), Damarea Crockett (Missouri), Bryson Allen-Williams (South Carolina), Micah Abernathy (Tennessee), Braden Mann (Texas A&M), Khari Blasingame (Vanderbilt), and Brandon Lee (Missouri – Autonomy Representative).

Speed gives Hogs vault title, but team falls to Bama

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Senior Braie Speed secured the vault title as 8th-ranked Arkansas fell to No. 10 Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Friday night, 197.000-196.350.

“We were a little off tonight as far as some of our landings,” said coach Mark Cook. “We did a decent job, but we didn’t maximize our potential tonight. We’ve got to do a little better on the road, but the girls had a lot of focus and a lot of energy and we competed pretty hard here.”

First Rotation: Arkansas Bars: 49.075, Alabama Vault: 48.950

Arkansas led by a slight margin over the Crimson Tide after the first rotation. The Razorbacks got four scores over 9.800, with freshman Sydney Laird leading the way with a 9.850. Senior Braie Speed and freshman Sarah Shaffer were just behind Laird, each tallying a 9.825. Sophomore Hailey Garner got the solid score in the anchor spot that Arkansas needed to take the lead, recording a 9.800.

Second Rotation: Alabama Bars: 49.325, Arkansas Vault: 48.825

Competing just five athletes on vault, Arkansas fell behind in the second rotation by a score of 98.275-97.900. Speed and Wellick led all Razorbacks with scores of 9.850 and 9.800, respectively. Junior Sydney McGlone was Arkansas third best scorer, recording a 9.775 in the third spot in the rotation. Speed’s score gave her a share of the event title with Alabama’s Nickie Guerrero.

Third Rotation: Arkansas Floor: 49.325, Alabama Beam: 49.325

Arkansas got solid scores from its entire lineup on floor, including a 9.900 from Shaffer. Sophomores Hailey Garner and Jessica Yamzon were right behind Shaffer with scores of 9.875 each. Arkansas was unable to gain ground on the Crimson Tide, as each team matched event scores of 49.325 on its apparatus.

Fourth Rotation: Alabama Floor: 49.400, Arkansas Beam: 49.125

Shaffer led Arkansas with a 9.900 on beam, while Yamzon and Carter recorded scores of 9.825. Wellick recorded a 9.800 and Burton tallied a 9.775 to round out Arkansas’ scoring in the final rotation.

Sarah Shaffer won the all-around with a score of 39.350 while Yamzon recorded a 39.150.

Up Next

The Razorbacks return home next Friday for another Southeastern Conference showdown against the Auburn Tigers inside Barnhill Arena.

The meet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Jacobus strengthens national pole vault lead in Texas meet

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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LUBBOCK, Texas — Competing in Lubbock at Texas Tech’s brand new Sports Performance Center, No. 1 Arkansas kicked off the two-day Texas Tech Open with three event wins and strong marks in the field.

The highlight of the day came in the pole vault as junior Lexi Jacobus strengthened her national lead by 1¼ inches with an indoor personal best clearance of 4.64m/15-2¾.

Event Winners:
• 60 Meters – Payton Chadwick, 7.34
• Long Jump – Taliyah Brooks, 6.37m/20-10¾
• Pole Vault – Lexi Jacobus, 4.64m/15-2¾

Pole Vault Power

The Arkansas pole vault crew dominated its competition for the fourth-consecutive week, with Razorbacks sweeping first through fifth place.

It was the second-consecutive victory for Jacobus and her third top-two finish of the season.

All-American vaulters Tori Hoggard and Desiree Freier, placed second and third, respectively, both improving upon their season bests.

Hoggard moved up to No. 3 in the NCAA with a clearance of 4.54m/14-10¾, while Freier moved up to No. 5 with a clearance of 4.39m/14-4¾.

Morgan Hartsell and Rylee Robinson, rounded out the group finishing in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Elsewhere in the field redshirt senior Taliyah Brooks captured the long jump title with a season best mark of 6.37m/20-10¾, improving her national standing in the event from 10th in the NCAA to fifth.

The top combined events performer in the country among college competitors, Brooks now ranks inside the NCAA top-five in three events: 60-meter hurdles, long jump and pentathlon.

On the Track

Springdale native Payton Chadwick carried the banner for Arkansas on the track, placing first in the 60-meter dash with a PR of 7.34. Her performance moved her up to fifth in program history.

Along with Chadwick, four other Razorbacks qualified for the finals and finished among the top-eight best in the field including Kiara Parker (7.43, third), Taliyah Brooks (7.44, fourth), Tamara Kuykendall (7.47, fifth) and Janeek Brown (7.50, seventh).

Events To Watch (Saturday):
• 400 Meters | 12:15 p.m. on Texas Tech TV (subscription required)
Featured Razorback: Payton Chadwick (PR: 53.42)

• Millrose Games Mile | 4:27 p.m. CT on NBC
Featured Razorback: Nikki Hltz (PR: 4:34.57)

Texas Tech Open
February 2, 2018
Sports Performance Center (Lubbock, Texas)

60 Meters Prelims
1. Payton Chadwick – 7.37
2. Kiara Parker – 7.42
3. Taliyah Brooks – 7.42
7. Tamara Kuykendall – 7.56
8. Janeek Brown – 7.59
19. Morgan Burks-Magee – 7.73

60 Meters Finals
1. Payton Chadwick – 7.34
3. Kiara Parker – 7.43
4. Taliyah Brooks – 7.44
5. Tamara Kuykendall – 7.47
7. Janeek Brown – 7.50

Pole Vault
1. Lexi Jacobus – 4.64m/15-2¾
2. Tori Hoggard – 4.54m/14-10¾
3. Desiree Freier – 4.39m/14-4¾
4. Morgan Hartsell – 3.99m/13-1
5. Rylee Robinson – 3.99m/13-1
7. Ellie Ramos-Mata – 3.84m/12-7¼

Long Jump
1. Taliyah Brooks – 6.37m/20-10¾

Oparenovic’s paces Hogs’ victory over Sooners on Friday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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NORMAN, Okla. — Behind a top-15 win from junior Ana Oparenovic and a three-set match-clinching victory from sophomore Giulia Pairone, Arkansas rallied past Oklahoma 4-3 on Friday at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

With the team score tied 3-3, Pairone cruised to a 6-0 victory in the third set at No. 3 singles to take the match, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-0 and clinch the team’s win.

“We had a lot of people come back tonight from some tough positions, both in singles and doubles,” head coach Michael Hegarty said. “It really was a great total team effort.”

The Razorbacks (2-2) won the doubles point for the fourth straight match this season and picked up three singles victories to top the Sooners (1-4).

Oklahoma’s Skyler Miller and Malene Stripp struck first in doubles, winning 6-3 at No. 3, but Arkansas won the final two matches to claim the opening point. The Razorbacks got a 6-4 win from Pairone and senior Mia Jurasic at No. 2 and then earned a 7-5 victory from Oparenovic and freshman Tatum Rice at the top spot.

In singles, the Sooners leveled the match with a win at No. 6 from Miller. But the Razorbacks quickly found the lead again when Oparenovic delivered a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 win at the top spot over No. 14 ranked Lily Miyazaki and Rice won a three-setter at No. 5 against Stripp.

The Sooners pulled even with wins at No. 4 and then No. 2, but Pairone, who is now 4-0 on the season, sealed the overall team win for the Razorbacks.

Up Next
Arkansas will play Oklahoma State (4-1) at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Arkansas 4, Oklahoma 3

Singles Competition
1. Ana Oparenovic (AR) def. No. 14 Lily Miyazaki (OU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
2. Jasmine Asghar (OU) def. Mia Jurasic (AR) 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-2
3. Giulia Pairone (AR) def. Christiana Brigante (OU) 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0
4. Camila Romero (OU) def. Natsuho Arakawa (AR) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
5. Tatum Rice (AR) def. Malene Stripp (OU) 7-5, 1-6, 6-1
6. Skyler Miller (OU) def. Peyton Jennings (AR) 6-1, 7-5

Doubles Competition
1. Ana Oparenovic/Tatum Rice (AR) def. Jasmine Asghar/Lily Miyazaki (OU) 7-5
2. Mia Jurasic/Giulia Pairone (AR) def. Christiana Brigante/Simran Kaur Sethi (OU) 6-4
3. Skyler Miller/Malene Stripp (OU) def. Peyton Jennings/Natsuho Arakawa (AR) 6-3

Match Notes
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,1,5,4,2,3)

KNWA VIDEO: Neighbors looking at Alabama matchup

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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VIDEO FROM KNWA

Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors met with the media Friday afternoon to talk about Sunday’s matchup on the road against Alabama.

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