Box Score

CONWAY, Arkansas— In a back-and-forth battle Saturday afternoon, Central Arkansas captured the last two singles matches and probably denied visiting Northwestern State a chance to play for at least a share of the Southland Conference women's tennis regular-season championship next week.

UCA (13-5 overall, 6-3 in the Southland) jumped on top with the doubles point, then finished strongly to dump the Lady Demons 4-3. It was only the second league loss for NSU (14-7, 8-2), which still has a mathematical, though not promising, shot at playing for the title at home next Saturday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

With NSU ahead 3-2, UCA scored a pair of three-set decisions in the middle of the singles lineup.

The Sugar Bears' Hee-Jin Oh defeated Emilija Dancetovic at No. 3 to tie the overall match score. Dancetovic prevailed in the first set 7-6, winning the tiebreaker 7-2. Oh rebounded with a 6-4 second-set triumph and sealed the deal 6-3 in the third set to knot the match 3-all.

In the decisive pairing at No. 4, two-time All-Southland Conference doubles selection QiLi Ma of UCA, a 2017 All-Southland Conference honorable mention in singles, clinched it 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-0 over Ela Iwaniuk.

"This was a very good, high-level and well-played collegiate tennis match by both teams," said Lady Demons' head coach Patric DuBois. "We competed hard and played well, but UCA was the better team today."

UCA opened the action picking up speed in doubles play with a 6-2 victory at No. 3 by Ma and Rada Manataweewat over Dancetovic/Iwaniuk. The Lady Demons responded with a 6-1 win by Polina Ivanova and Polina Mutel at No. 1, but the Sugar Bears clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 triumph from Chunan Xiang and Amiru Shimogueh over Kateryna Avram and Judit Castillo in the No. 2 position.

"Doubles was a big point," DuBois said. "All three teams played well. A few big points made the difference at No. 2."

Ivanova finished first in singles at No. 2 to tie the overall score 1-1 with a 6-1, 6-1 straight-set defeat of Xiang which additionally improved the Lady Demon senior's career record to 54-25. She is only one singles win away from moving up a spot to eighth on the school singles victory list.

Lifting the Lady Demons ahead 2-1, Castillo posted a 6-0, 6-4 triumph at No. 5 over Shimoguchi, a 2017 All-Southland Conference second-team recipient and personal nemesis.

"Judit's win today shows how much she has improved this year as she was defeated twice last year by the same opponent," DuBois said.

UCA tied the match at 2 when Marli Van Heerdan, a All-Southland Conference second-team singles performer last year, claimed the No. 6 slot 7-5, 6-2 over Avram.

At No. 1, Polina Mutel gave the Lady Demons their second lead of the day. The junior posted a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 over Pramethah for a 3-2 NSU advantage, but the middle of the lineup tilted the final outcome to the Sugar Bears.

"I'm very happy about Ivanova and Mutel as they continue to play well at our toughest positions," DuBois said. "They've both played well under pressure."

The Lady Demons will host Texas A&M Corpus Christi next Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex. NSU's hopes for a regular-season title now hinge on Nicholls winning at league-leading McNeese Sunday, which would give the Lady Demons a chance to tie for the crown if it prevails next Saturday against the two-time defending Southland Conference champions.

Also at stake will be seedings in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament.
 

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Central Arkansas 4, Northwestern State 3
Conway, Ark.
UCA Tennis Courts
 
Singles competition
1. Polina Mutel (NSU) def. Pornpawee Pramethong 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
2. Polina Ivanova (NSU) def. Chunan Xiang 6-1, 6-1
3. Hee-Jin Oh (UCA) def. Emilija Dancetovic 6-7 (0-2), 6-4, 6-3
4. QiLi Ma (UCA) def. Ela Iwaniuk 6-7 (0-3), 6-4, 6-0
5. Judit Castillo (NSU) def. Amiru Shimoguchi 6-0, 6-4
6. Marli Van Heerden (UCA) def. Kateryna Avram 7-5, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. Polina Ivanova/Polina Mutel (NSU) def. Pornpawee Pramethong/Marli Van Heerden 6-1
2. Chunan Xiang/Amiru Shimoguchi (UCA) def. Judit Castillo/Kateryna Avram 6-4
3. QiLi Ma/Rada Manataweewat (UCA) def. Emilija Dancetovic/Ela Iwaniuk 6-2
 
Match Notes:
Northwestern State 14-7, 8-2 SLC
Central Arkansas 13-5, 6-3 SLC
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,5,6,1,3,4)