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GAC Tournament

Women's Tennis by Scott Goode (4/24/15)

HU Women's Tennis Falls One Match Short at GAC Tournament

Lady Bisons Fall 5-4 to Southern Nazarene

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Harding women's tennis fell one match short in its opening round match Friday at the Great American Conference Tournament and had its season end with a 5-4 loss to Southern Nazarene.

Harding (9-11) trailed 2-1 after doubles but rallied to win three singles matches and pull even at 4-4 with No. 4 singles still ongoing. Lady Bison freshman Brittany Smyser came from a set down to win the second set tiebreaker and force a deciding third set. Southern Nazarene's Karina Kotova won the third set 6-3 to clinch the match.

The Lady Bisons earned one point in doubles with Piper Huey and Sydni Sansom winning 8-0 at No. 3 doubles. It was their fifth victory as a team and Huey's 16th doubles victory this season.

Freshman Emily Faulkner evened the match at 2-2 with a 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 5 singles. Faulkner snapped a five-match skid and defeated Kaitlyn Atkeson for the second time this season.

Southern Nazarene retook the lead at 3-2 with a victory at No. 3 singles, but Harding's Kaylie Brown tied it again with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6. It was Brown's third singles victory this season, two of them coming over Southern Nazarene's Taylor Sullivan.

The lead swung back into the Crimson Storm's favor with Polina Chala's victory at No. 2 singles, but Harding tied it for the third time with Huey's victory at No. 1. The No. 11 singles player in the NCAA Division II Central Region, Huey took her doubles success into singles and defeated Masha Andrianova, the No. 6 singles player in the region. It was Huey's fourth victory this season over a regionally-ranked player and set up the exciting final match.

Southern Nazarene (3-12) will advance to meet Southeastern Oklahoma later Friday in the semifinals.

Tennis Match Results
Harding vs Southern Nazarene
Apr 24, 2015 at Bentonville, Ark.
(Memorial Park Tennis Complex)

Southern Nazarene 5, Harding 4

 Singles competition
1. Piper Huey (HU) def. Masha Andrianova (SNU) 6-4, 7-5
2. Polina Chala (SNU) def. Arielle Butler (HU) 6-2, 6-0
3. Natalia Moreno (SNU) def. Katie Huff (HU) 6-0, 6-0
4. Karina Kotova (SNU) def. Brittany Smyser (HU) 6-4, 6-7, 6-3
5. Emily Faulkner (HU) def. Kaitlyn Atkeson (SNU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Kaylie Brown (HU) def. Taylor Sullivan (SNU) 6-1, 6-2

 Doubles competition
1. Masha Andrianova/Natalia Moreno (SNU) def. Katie Huff/Arielle Butler (HU) 8-1
2. Polina Chala/Karina Kotova (SNU) def. Brittany Smyser/Emily Faulkner (HU) 8-2
3. Piper Huey/Sydni Sansom (HU) def. Kaitlyn Atkeson/Taylor Sullivan (SNU) 8-0

Match Notes:
Harding 9-11
Southern Nazarene 3-12
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,3,6,2,1,4)

 
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Players Mentioned

Kaylie Brown

Kaylie Brown

Sophomore
Arielle Butler

Arielle Butler

Sophomore
Piper Huey

Piper Huey

Sophomore
Katie Huff

Katie Huff

Senior
Sydni Sansom

Sydni Sansom

Junior
Emily Faulkner

Emily Faulkner

Freshman
Brittany Smyser

Brittany Smyser

Freshman

Players Mentioned

Kaylie Brown

Kaylie Brown

Sophomore
Arielle Butler

Arielle Butler

Sophomore
Piper Huey

Piper Huey

Sophomore
Katie Huff

Katie Huff

Senior
Sydni Sansom

Sydni Sansom

Junior
Emily Faulkner

Emily Faulkner

Freshman
Brittany Smyser

Brittany Smyser

Freshman
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