No. 22 Arkansas Hosts Tigers and Tide for Final Home Series

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.  – The No. 22 University of Arkansas women’s tennis team will host No. 17 Auburn and Alabama for its final home series of the season this weekend, March 26th and 28th. The Razorbacks are slated to face the Tigers on Friday at 5 p.m. and the Crimson Tide at noon on Sunday at the Billingsley Tennis Center.

Graduate student Jackie Carr and senior Lauren Alter will both be honored prior to Sunday’s match against Alabama, with the senior ceremonies for the two Razorbacks beginning approximately 30 minutes before the match.

Arkansas (10-3, 4-3) cruises into the weekend looking to break a three-match losing streak to SEC opponents. The Razorbacks dropped a pair of 4-0 decisions on the road at South Carolina and Florida their last time out two weeks ago.

Freshman Indianna Spink made her first appearance in the national polls on Wednesday, coming in at No. 44 in singles. Boasting a 13-6 overall record, Spink has already racked up three SEC Freshman of the Week awards, just past the mid-way point of the season. She is a crucial part of an Arkansas lineup that has spent five-straight weeks in the Oracle/ITA Top 25.

Auburn moved up to No. 17 in the most recent ITA national rankings following a week off from competition and a 1-1 weekend in league play two weeks ago. The Tigers also debuted at No. 20 in the season’s first Tennis Channel/USTA rankings released on Wednesday.

Sophomore Tiger Selin Ovunc ranks 57th nationally in singles, and grad student Georgie Axon made her season debut in the rankings at No. 116. Ovunc and grad student Taylor Russo are also ranked as the No. 13 doubles team in the nation; however, Russo is out for the season after suffering an injury against Mississippi State. Ovunc will team up with sophomore Carolyn Ansari this weekend in doubles.

Alabama (9-8, 0-7) fell out of the top 50 in this week’s ITA poll after dropping its seventh-consecutive SEC match. The Crimson Tide started the season 9-1, with four 7-0 sweeps in their first five matches, but have since struggled against league opponents. The Tide’s best doubles duo is the veteran-rookie pair of No. 49 Moka Ito and Loudmilla Bencheikh.

Both matches are available for fans to watch for free, via Playsight.

Fans are encouraged to visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Women’s Tennis. You can also find the Hogs on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Women’s Tennis) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackWTEN).