Friday, March 2
Columbia, Mo.
4 PM
University of Missouri
vs
(#27) Arkansas
@MizzouTennis Continues Homestand, Opens SEC Play Friday
3/1/2018 1:49:00 PM | Tennis
Tigers welcome No. 27 Arkansas
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Mizzou Tennis team (11-3) is set to begin Southeastern Conference play vs. No. 27 Arkansas on Friday at the Mizzou Tennis Complex. The match is set to begin at 4 p.m.
LOOKING BACK: TIGERS LOSE PAIR OF HEARTBREAKERS, GET BACK ON TRACK
- The Tigers lost a pair of heartbreakers to ranked teams (who are now both in the top 30 as of this week) last week. On Friday, Mizzou nearly came back from a 3-0 deficit, but fell 4-3 to No. 30 Wichita State.
- For the first time all season, the Tigers lost the doubles point, then dropped the first two singles matches to ranked Shockers. Yet freshman Ellie Wright (Gainesville, Fla.), sophomore Mackenzy Middlebrooks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and senior co-captain Amina Ismail (Maineville, Ohio) all won their matches to tie things up at 3-3. Nearly six hours after the match began, the dual came down to a third-set tiebreak that the Tigers couldn't secure.
- On Sunday, the Tigers played outside for the first time all Spring, and welcomed No. 35 Kansas State and UMKC for a doubleheader. As they did on Friday, the doubles point was tightly contested, but again went to the visitors from Manhattan.
- Five of the six singles matches went three sets, and K-State prevailed, 4-2.
- In the nightcap, the Tigers moved back indoors vs. UMKC, and breezed to a 4-0 win. Middlebrooks and Wright posted their third 6-0 doubles win of the season, and freshman Marta Oliveira (Lisbon, Portugal) picked up her first singles win of the Spring.
- Within moments of each other, Middlebrooks and sophomore Serena Nash (Bradford, England) finished off identical 6-2, 6-1 victories to match Oliveira.
DOUBLING UP
- Doubles continues to be the strength of the Tigers, as Mizzou has won the doubles point in 12 of 14 matches this season. In all, Mizzou's doubles teams are 42-24 (.636) on the year, and 27-11 (.711) in dual play.
- Middlebrooks and Wright lead the way with 16 doubles wins each on the season. Thirteen of those have come with each other, including a 12-1 mark in dual play.
- The duo are currently riding an eight-match winning streak.
- Senior co-captain Clare Raley (Atlanta, Ga.) and Nash are close behind with 13 total doubles wins, including 10 together.
MACK'S ON FIRE
- Sophomore Mackenzy Middlebrooks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) has the hottest singles streak going on the team at the moment; dating back to the fall season, she's won her last 17 singles decisions, and is undefeated in dual-match play (11-0).
- Her streak began after losing her opening match a the ITA Regional Championships in Lawrence, Kan., on Oct. 19. Middlebrooks then roared back through the consolation bracket, winning six straight matches – not dropping a set in the process – in earning the consolation singles title.
- Middlebrooks' 17 singles wins currently leads the team, as does her 11-0 singles record in dual play (6-0 at No. 3, 5-0 at No. 4).
FIVE NEWCOMERS
- Second-year Head Coach Colt Gaston has assembled a mix of veteran talent and young newcomers with this season's roster.
- Four Tigers – Nash, a sophomore transfer from Oklahoma; and freshmen Wright, Oliveira and Noback – made their team debuts in the fall.
- A fifth – Taylor Gruber (Spicewood, Texas) – signed with Mizzou in November, graduated early from high school and joined the team in January.
- The newcomers have accounted for nearly half (30) of the Tigers' 68 singles wins this season, and have had a hand in 39 of the team's 42 doubles victories.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS
- Arkansas is 4-5 after splitting a pair of 4-3 matches at home last weekend. The Razorbacks beat No. 15 Kansas on Friday before falling to Purdue on Sunday.
- After a week on the outside of the ITA rankings, the Hogs re-entered the mix at No. 27 this week. Arkansas has a pair of individual rankings as well in junior Ana Oparenovic (No. 76) and the duo of Oparenovic and Tatum Rice (No. 36).
- No. 1 player Giulia Pairone is 9-2 and 7-0 in dual play across Nos. 1-4, while Oparenovic is 12-10/4-5 (2-2 at No. 2).
- In doubles, No. 1 team Oparenovic and Rice are undefeated (8-0) on the season.
- Arkansas leads the series 7-3, including 4-3 since Mizzou joined the SEC prior to the 2013 season. Mizzou's last win over the Razorbacks came in the 2015 SEC Tournament, and the Tigers' last dual win came in the 2013 season.
For all the latest on Mizzou Tennis, stay tuned to mutigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Tennis
/ Tennis
/ Tennis
/ Tennis
/ Tennis
/ Tennis
/ Tennis
Mizzou Storytellers - Bianca Turati
Tuesday, February 25
Tennis Highlight vs. Saint Louis
Saturday, April 15
Mizzou Tennis vs. Auburn Court 3
Sunday, March 28
Mizzou Tennis vs. Auburn Court 4
Sunday, March 28
