FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas - Top-seeded Southern Arkansas defeated Ouachita Baptist and Southeastern Oklahoma State bested Harding in the semifinals of the Great American Conference Women's Tennis Championships. The Muleriders and Savage Storm will square off in a rematch of last year's final
MATCH 4: #3 Southeastern Oklahoma State 4, #2 Hardiing 2
Box Score
Southeastern Oklahoma State avenges its regular-season defeat to Harding in the semifinals of the GAC Tournament, winning 4-2 to punch its ticket to the finals on Sunday.
SE held the early edge in the doubles round after the duo of Tania Sfilio and Sara Gonzalez made swift work in the second slot, winning 6-0 to put the blue and gold within striking distance of the point. The ranked partnership of #30 Jou Chen Chen and Carol Mora delivered the decisive win from the No. 1 line, defeating HU's top duo Karli Roux and Alexia Valdez 6-4 to give SE a 1-0 lead.
It did not take long for the Storm to stretch its lead in the match, as Gonzalez and Larissa Giraldi Correa turned in the first wins in singles play. Both won in straight sets, with Correa winning 6-1 and 6-0 at court three, followed by a 6-1 and 6-2 victory from Gonzalez at the No. 6 spot. The Lady Bisons would eventually get on the board from the No. 2 line to make it 3-1.
Harding continued to battle back, as they added another win on the No. 1 line to make it a one-point match, 3-2. With the pressure on, the final two matches of the contest were extended to a third set, and Amishi Shukla would jump out to a 5-1 lead over her opponent, Sofia Ruiz, at court five. HU's Ruiz won the next two games from there, but Shukla would hold off an attempt at a late rally by the Lady Bisons to secure the set-win 6-3 to clinch the final point of the match for SE, 4-2.
MATCH 3: #1 Southern Arkansas 4, #4 Ouachita Baptist 1
Box Score
The Mulerider Women's Tennis team surged past Ouachita Baptist with a commanding 4-1 victory in the semifinals of the 2025 Great American Conference Championship.
The Muleriders dominated in doubles play, sweeping all three courts. Ifigeneia Kafka and Josie Holderbach secured a 6-3 win at the top spot, Maria Fiacan and Amelie Gindl blanked their opponents 6-0 at line two, and Inna Serpukhova and Roksana Kokocha claimed a 6-4 win at line three.
Carrying that momentum into singles, SAU clinched the match with wins from Holderbach (6-2, 6-0 at line two), Fiacan (6-4, 6-1 at line three), and Kokocha (6-1, 6-2 at line five).