Tweet #theGAC  LOWELL, Ark. - After nearly five hours, the Harding women's tennis team battled to a 4-2 win in the opening round of the GAC Tournament over Arkansas Tech on Thursday. The Lady Bisons improve to 14-8 on the season.

Arkansas Tech opened the match with a 1-0 lead after doubles action. Grace Dodd and Sofia Sarmiento Ruiz grabbed the lone victory at No. 3 doubles, winning 6-3. The win was the duo's fifth win of the season.

The Golden Suns grabbed the victory at No. 1 singles but the Lady Bisons won four singles matches to clinch the victory. At No. 2, Karli Roux battled from a set down to grab her third consecutive win and 16th victory of the season, winning 1-6, 7-6, 6-1. Alexia Zarate Valdez also picked up her 16th victory of the season, winning 6-2, 7-5 at No. 3.

At both No. 4 and No. 5, Romane Britt and Sarmiento Ruiz both picked up tight three set victories for the Lady Bisons. Britt won her opening set before dropping the second and winning in the third, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. Sarmiento Ruiz won her team-leading 18th match running away in the third set. After dropping the first set 3-6, Sarmiento Ruiz found herself tied at 3-3 in the second before rattling off nine straight games to take the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.

The Lady Bisons advance on Friday to take on the top seed Southeastern Oklahoma on Friday at 1 p.m. The Savage Storm defeated the Lady Bisons 6-1 on April 12.