Arielle Butler clinched Harding's victory with her 14th singles win of the season.

Women's Tennis 3/25/2017 2:50:00 PM by Scott Goode (3/25/17)

Harding Women's Tennis Collects Victory in GAC Opener

EDMOND, Okla. - Coming off a tough loss to Central Region foe Central Oklahoma on Friday, Harding women's tennis responded with an impressive 8-1 victory over Southern Nazarene on Saturday in its first Great American Conference match of the season.

Harding (9-4, 1-0) cruised through doubles, dropping only six games in winning all three matches. The Lady Bisons' No. 3 team of Emily Faulkner and Milou Dalmolen quickly won its third straight match, blanking Southern Nazarene 8-0. The No. 1 team of Piper Huey and Laura Golubic continued to roll, winning its sixth consecutive match and improving to 14-4 on the season with an 8-2 victory. Gabriella Alves and Brittany Smyser completed the sweep at No. 2 with an 8-4 victory, the duo's third this season.

Harding needed only two singles wins to clinch the victory, and the bottom of the Lady Bisons' lineup took care of those two. Faulkner made the score 4-0 with a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 6, and senior Arielle Butler clinched the match with a 7-6, 6-0 win at No. 5. It was Butler's team-leading 14th singles victory of the season and 52nd of her career.

Harding's Laura Golubic (No. 2) and Brittany Smyser (No. 4) both earned straight-sets wins, and Piper Huey upset Polina Chala, the No. 6 singles player in the Central Region, 6-7, 6-0, 10-7. It was her second win over a regionally ranked opponent in her last three matches.

Harding's next match is on Sunday, April 2 against NCAA Division I foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Pine Bluff at 2:30 p.m.

Tennis Match Results
Harding vs Southern Nazarene
Mar 25, 2017 at Edmond, Okla.
(Kickingbird Tennis Center)

Harding 8, Southern Nazarene 1

Singles competition
1. Piper Huey (HU) def. Polina Chala (SNU) 6-7, 6-0, 10-7
2. Laura Golubic (HU) def. Noelia Gomez (SNU) 6-3, 6-4
3. Anna Garcia (SNU) def. Gabriella Alves (HU) 6-3, 2-6, 10-5
4. Brittany Smyser (HU) def. Dragana Samardzic (SNU) 7-6, 6-4
5. Arielle Butler (HU) def. Judit Mas (SNU) 7-6, 6-0
6. Emily Faulkner (HU) def. Trista LeGrande (SNU) 6-1, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Piper Huey/Laura Golubic (HU) def. Polina Chala/Noelia Gomez (SNU) 8-2
2. Gabriella Alves/Brittany Smyser (HU) def. Anna Garcia/Dragana Samardzic (SNU) 8-4
3. Emily Faulkner/Milou Dalmolen (HU) def. Judit Mas/Trista LeGrande (SNU) 8-0

Match Notes:
Harding 9-4, 1-0
Southern Nazarene 2-6, 1-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,5,2,3,4,1)

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Players Mentioned

Gabriella Alves: Junior

Arielle Butler: Senior

Emily Faulkner: Junior

Laura Golubic: Junior

Piper Huey: Senior

Brittany Smyser: Junior

Milou Dalmolen: 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Gabriella Alves
: Junior

Arielle Butler
: Senior

Emily Faulkner
: Junior

Laura Golubic
: Junior

Piper Huey
: Senior

Brittany Smyser
: Junior

Milou Dalmolen
: 5' 4"; Freshman

Harding University Athletics

Schedule

Events

Harding Women's Tennis Collects Victory in GAC Opener

Players Mentioned

Gabriella Alves

Arielle Butler

Emily Faulkner

Laura Golubic

Piper Huey

Brittany Smyser

Milou Dalmolen

Players Mentioned

Gabriella Alves

Arielle Butler

Emily Faulkner

Laura Golubic

Piper Huey

Brittany Smyser

Milou Dalmolen