FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – With the fall season scheduled to begin Friday, Sept. 12, members of the University of Arkansas’ women’s tennis team are receiving preseason accolades. As released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll on Sept. 8, the Razorbacks have one singles and one doubles team nationally ranked.
Sophomore Shannon Hudson is ranked in the singles poll, coming in at No. 121. Additionally, Hudson has been selected to compete in the singles qualifying draw of the 2014 Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships. Hudson is the 21st Razorback to compete in the nationally renowned tournament under 12th-year head coach Michael Hegarty.
In its 31st year, the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships attracts a majority of the top NCAA players in the country and will be held in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Prequalifying action begins Sept. 27, with the qualifying bracket starting Sept. 30 and the main draw starting Oct. 2
Sarah McLean competed last season for Arkansas in the prequalifying singles draw of the event. Aurelija Miseviciute advanced to the quarterfinals in 2007, marking the deepest run a Razorback has made in the tournament.
Hudson is coming off her freshman campaign in 2013-14 during which she made some noise. She posted a 20-8 overall singles record, including 13-6 in dual play and 3-2 in SEC play. She was just one of five freshman in the conference to record 13 or more dual wins.
She last appeared in the ITA singles poll on Jan. 2, 2014, when she was No. 115. She faced 10 ranked opponents last season, with eight of the matches going unfinished. She finished 1-1 in the matches that did finish, upsetting Auburn’s Emily Flickinger, ranked No. 114, 6-1, 6-3.
Junior Yang Pang and sophomore Oleksandra Shkorupeieva come into the doubles poll ranked No. 59. The duo posted an 11-8 record in dual play last season, including a 3-1 mark when competing on the top court. The tandem finished 1-1 against ranked doubles teams, defeating No. 40 Perper and Tran of Mississippi State, 8-1.
The Razorbacks serve up their 2014 fall schedule Sept. 12-14 as they compete in the Little Rock Classic in Little Rock, Ark.
For more information on Arkansas women’s tennis, follow @RazorbackWTEN on Twitter.