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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 15 Arkansas will continue Southeastern Conference action this weekend with visits to No. 25 Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
The Razorbacks (12-2, 3-0 SEC) will face the Rebels (10-4, 1-2 SEC) at 1 p.m. Friday at Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center in Oxford, Mississippi. Following that match, Arkansas will head to Starkville, Mississippi, for a 1 p.m. match Sunday against the Bulldogs (8-4, 1-3 SEC) at A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
Quotable
“Playing on the road in the SEC always presents that extra challenge,” head coach Michael Hegarty said. “Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State are having great seasons, and we are excited for the stiff tests.”
Five Key Storylines
• Arkansas is coming off a sweep of LSU and then-No. 17 Texas A&M that extended its win streak to nine matches. The Razorbacks are off to their best start since 2011 when it opened the season with a 12-2 record and 2-1 mark in SEC play.
• After turning in a pair of strong performances last weekend, senior co-captain Shannon Hudson was named SEC Player of the Week on Wednesday. Hudson, who picked up her third career SEC weekly honor and became the conference’s first two-time player of the week this season, posted two victories at No. 1 singles over nationally ranked opponents in the team’s victories against the Tigers and Aggies. Hudson improved to 15-4 overall in singles with a 10-2 record in dual matches, 3-0 mark in SEC action and 4-1 ledger against nationally ranked opponents. All of her dual-match wins have come at the top spot.
• The Razorbacks moved up to No. 15 in the in the latest edition of the Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis National Team Rankings released Tuesday. It’s the program’s highest ranking since No. 15 on March 29, 2011. The SEC leads the nation with 10 teams ranked among the top 25. Joining Arkansas in the top 25 are No. 1 Florida, No. 5 Auburn, No. 6 Georgia, No. 10 Vanderbilt, No. 14 Kentucky, No. 19 Tennessee, No. 21 South Carolina, No. 22 Texas A&M and No. 25 Ole Miss.
• Arkansas' top six in singles boast a combined record of 50-13 this spring. Three Razorbacks have earned at least 10 dual-match wins. Jeanjean owns a team-best 11-1 mark, while Hudson and Arakawa are each 10-2. Arkansas has also continued to dominate in doubles, winning the doubles point in 12 of 14 matches, including each of the last nine.
• Ole Miss and Mississippi State are each coming off back-to-back losses last weekend. Arkansas owns a 14-12 advantage in the all-times series against the Bulldogs and is 11-25 against the Rebels.
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