TULSA, Okla. – Arkansas senior Yuliya Lysa will compete in the singles competition of the 2016 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships, which will be held May 25-30 at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa.
Lysa, the nation’s No. 21-ranked singles player, earned a spot in the field of 64 on May 4. She will take on Tulsa’s No. 86 Saana Saarteinen in the round of 64 on Wednesday. First serve is slated for 11 a.m. CDT. The duo of Lysa and Hudson also are now the first alternate for the doubles championship.
Lysa and Saarteinen previously met in the first round of the NCAA team championship at the Oklahoma State Regional on May 13. The match went unfinished. However, Lysa led Saarteinen 7-6 (2), 4-2 when the No. 28-ranked Golden Hurricane (22-4) clinched the overall match over the No. 33-ranked Razorbacks (16-14) at 4-1.
Despite missing the first seven matches of the season with an injury, Lysa compiled a 13-6 dual-match singles record, including a 9-4 mark at No. 1 and in Southeastern Conference play. The left-hander dispatched eight ranked singles opponents, including four in the top 25. After earning All-SEC Second Team honors in 2015, she followed up by securing a spot on All-SEC First Team and being named Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region Senior Player of the Year for her efforts this season. In addition, her No. 21 ranking is a career-best mark.
Lysa’s Top-25 Wins