The men’s and women’s tennis teams will be playing against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at 1 p.m. and LeMoyne-Owen College at 3:30 p.m. on March 26.
The women’s tennis team is working hard, and freshman Ali Rowden said she is optimistic that their recent loss against Arkansas Tech University will only make the team work harder for their matches on March 26.
“We will give it all we got and if we work as a team there is no doubt in my mind we will dominate,” Rowden said. “If we work together we can beat any team out there, but it starts in practice and how hard we push each other. The matches are the easy part.”
Rowden had a hand in both of Harding’s points against Arkansas Tech University.
The teams will meet again in Searcy on April 4 in a Great American Conference match. Junior Tracy Maré said preparation will be the key to taking on both teams on March 26.
“We need to make sure we maintain high levels of fitness all season and that will be especially important for playing two matches in a row,” Maré said. “On the day of the match we also have to be sure that we hydrate well and eat healthily, so we have the energy to come out strong in both matches. Our preparation includes a lot of fitness training as well as doing drills and match play against each other in practice.”
Maré said she believes the outcomes on March 26 will be in Harding’s favor if the team can keep focus.
“If we continue to stay focused in practice and work hard we can all go on the court and give 100 percent, and when we do that I believe we can win anything,” Maré said. “We are going to go out there and give our best as a team and the results should follow.”
Freshman Sydni Sansom said the tennis team has grown closer and has strengthened their relationships, enabling them to play better together.
“These past few weeks, we have really been picking it up and playing better,” Sansom said. “Everything is starting to click with us, especially in doubles. We have gotten to know each other better, so we are more effective as a team. We are able to read each other and predict each others’ moves.”
The men’s and women’s tennis teams both won against LeMoyne-Owen College (9-0) on March 5. On March 7, the women’s tennis team fell to Arkansas Tech University (2-7) in a non-conference loss that ended their four-match winning streak. On March 20, the women’s tennis teams beat Christian Brothers University 9-0 in Memphis, Tenn.
