SEC Tournament | @RazorbackWTEN Set To Battle Missouri

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 11-seed Arkansas women’s tennis team (16-13, 4-9 SEC) will face No. 14 seed Missouri (8-17, 0-13 SEC) in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Women’s Tennis Tournament at the Carolina Tennis Center in Columbia, S.C. First serve is set for 9:00 a.m. CT.

QUICK HITS:
– The Razorbacks finished the regular season with a 16-13 overall record and a 4-9 record in conference play.
– The Razorbacks defeated Missouri 6-1 earlier this season (March 1 in Fayetteville).
– Arkansas tied Vanderbilt and Alabama for 4th place in the conference for total victories (16).
– No. 51 Yuliya Lysa leads the Razorbacks with 18 wins on the season.
– The Razorbacks and Tigers will meet in the SEC Tournament for the second straight season. Missouri, the No. 13 seed in 2014, defeated No. 12 Arkansas in the first round of last year’s tournament.
– Arkansas owns a 9-22 all-time record in the SEC Tournament.

LAST TIME OUT: Arkansas Defeats No. 44 Auburn, 4-3, In Regular Season Finale
In what head coach Michael Hegarty called the best team performance of the past 36 months, the No. 38 Arkansas women’s tennis team won a hard-fought 4-3 decision at No. 44 Auburn on Sunday, April 12.

Arkansas won the doubles point after No. 69 Shannon Hudson and Yuliya Lysa upset the No. 5 ranked duo of Pleun Burgmans and Emily Flickinger 8-5 and Flavia Araujo and Sasha Shkorupeieva.defeated Reka Muller and Jen Pfeifler 8-6.

Auburn rallied back from the early deficit with wins on courts one and six. No. 81 Pleun Burgmans topped No. 68 Yuliya Lysa, 6-3, 6-3, at the No. 1 spot and Jen Pfefiler gave the Tigers the lead (2-1) with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Mia Jurasic on court six.

Arkansas responded with wins on courts two and four to regain the lead. Shannon Hudson knocked off Andie Dikosavljevic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 at No. 2, while Sasha Shkorupeieva outlasted Reka Muller 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4).

The Tigers wouldn’t go away and tied the match once again at 3-3 as Emily Flickinger earned a hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 win on court three over Makenzie Craft.

With the match tied at 3-3, Flavia Arajujo defeated Auburn’s Paula de Man 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 on court five to clinch the match for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas 4, Auburn 3
Apr 12, 2015 at Auburn, Ala.
(Yarbrough Tennis Center)

Singles competition
1. #81 Pleun Burgmans (AU) def. #68 Yuliya Lysa (ARK) 6-3, 6-3
2. Shannon Hudson (ARK) def. Andie Dikosavljevic (AU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
3. Emily Flickinger (AU) def. Makenzie Craft (ARK) 6-4, 2-6, 6-0
4. Sasha Shkorupeieva (ARK) def. Reka Muller (AU) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Flavia Araujo (ARK) def. Paula de Man (AU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
6. Jen Pfeifler (AU) def. Mia Jurasic (ARK) 6-2, 7-5

Doubles competition
1. #69 Shannon Hudson/Yuliya Lysa (ARK) def. #5 Pleun Burgmans/Emily Flickinger (AU) 8-5
2. Michala Kucharova/Paula de Man (AU) def. Makenzie Craft/Mia Jurasic (ARK) 8-3
3. Flavia Araujo/Sasha Shkorupeieva (ARK) def. Reka Muller/Jen Pfeifler (AU) 8-6

IN THE POLLS
In the April 14 ITA poll, the Razorbacks checked in at No. 36. Arkansas has been ranked in 127 consecutive weekly ITA polls dating back to 2008.

The duo of Shannon Hudson and Yuliya Lysa were ranked No. 36 as a doubles team, while Lysa was ranked No. 51 individually.

COACH’S CORNER
Arkansas women’s tennis all-time winningest coach with a record of 163-142, Michael Hegarty (Auburn, ’94) is in his 12th season as head coach of the Razorbacks. He has led the Hogs to seven NCAA Tournament appearances during his tenure at the U of A.

@SEC COMMUNITY SERVICE TEAM
The SEC sponsors Community Service Teams for all 21 league sponsored sports. The Community Service Team looks to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to their community in superior service efforts. The women’s tennis Community Service Team was announced on Tuesday, April 14 and Flavia Araujo earned a spot.

Flavia Araujo, Arkansas
Participated in Lift Up America by loading people’s cars with boxes of frozen protein provided by Tyson Foods Inc. Spoke to 1300 kids at Bud Walton Arena, as part of the Red Ribbon Rally, about staying away from drugs and alcohol. Participated in Sweat Hogs and Book Hogs, where she taught grades 1-4 from multiple elementary schools in Fayetteville about physical education and nutritional habits as well as the importance of reading and developing skills. Recruited customers of Harps to donate cans and goods to the Cooperative Emergency Outreach (CEO). Participated in the Buddy Walk, a fundraising awareness event for those who have Down syndrome to be included in our community – with Down Syndrome Connection of NWA. At the MLK Youth Event, she played sports with kids and teenagers to encourage physical activity and inspire them to fulfill their potential. Also interacted with veterans from the Veterans’ Hospital and learned about their war stories as well as life achievements. After the tornado’s destruction in Mayflower, helped with relief efforts by unpacking, sorting, and separating donations. Performed a guitar number at a variety show to raise money for YRCC community center as well as volunteered for many services including playing with kids and helping with office activities.

2015 SEC Women’s Tennis Community Service Team
Natalia Maynetto – Alabama
Flavia Araujo – Arkansas
Jen Pfeifler – Auburn
Brianna Morgan – Florida
Kirsten Lewis – Kentucky
Skylar Kuykendall – LSU
Kelli Hine – Missouri
Brigit Folland – South Carolina
Joanna Henderson – Tennessee
Stefania Hristov – Texas A&M
Courtney Colton – Vanderbilt

ARAUJO HEADED TO NIKE
Junior Flavia Araujo was selected as a member of the Nike Internship Program. Araujo, a business management major (retail marketing minor) with a 3.87 cumulative grade point average, has been selected to intern in the summer program in Beaverton, Ore., home to the world headquarters of Nike, Inc.

In December, juniors and seniors who are interested in the internship are required to attend a virtual presentation with Nike representatives. After that candidates go through three other interviews before having the internship offer extended to them.

To qualify for the internship, the student-athletes, team managers and athletic department interns had to be juniors or seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA. Candidates were selected based on their applications, résumé, project and interviews.

The Nike Internship Program by many accounts is considered a Top-15 internship in the United States by any company. Araujo, the 2015 Red Tie Honoree for the Female Spirit of the Razorback Award, will serve as a NIKE Global Brand Marketing Intern, with some of her duties being to assist the Brand Director with seasonal marketing needs and to collaborate on Grand Slam operations for the US Open.

ARAUJO NAMED RED TIE HONOREE
Junior Flavia Araujo was named the 2015 Red Tie Honoree for the Female Spirit of the Razorback Award, as announced by the University of Arkansas Athletic Department and the Razorback Foundation on Dec. 31. Each year, the Razorbacks recognize student-athletes whose performance throughout his or her career serves to lift up their sport to new heights and whose character exemplifies the goals of the athletic department. The 18th annual Red Tie Dinner was held Feb. 21, 2015, in Rogers, Ark. A steady contributor on the court, Araujo was also named the 2013-14 Lee Spencer Individual champion for her community service endeavors and overall commitment to the university.

ROLL CALL
Fresh faces are abound in the George M. Billingsley Tennis Center this season. A total of eight newcomers come aboard for the Razorbacks this season. Here’s a breakdown of the newcomers. Junior Makenzie Craft (Frisco, Texas) transferred in after spending her freshman season with Georgia and her sophomore season with Baylor. Craft certainly brings with her a championship pedigree as she was a part of Georgia’s 2013 SEC Championship team and Baylor’s 2014 Big 12 Championship team. She compiled a 27-22 overall singles record during her first two collegiate years. Junior Nicole Breaux (Lafayette, La.) comes to Fayetteville after transferring from Louisiana-Lafayette. Breaux competed at the top of the singles and doubles lineup for the Ragin’ Cajuns, amassing a 28-34 singles record over two seasons. Junior Yuliya Lysa is in her first season and comes to Arkansas by way of Khmelnytsky, Ukraine. Sophomore Nastassia Rubel (Minsk, Belarus) is in her first season with the Razorbacks, bringing with her a world ranking of No. 188 on the ITF junior tour. Sophomore Elly Fryberger (Littleton, Colo.) is in her first season after transferring from Kansas. Freshmen Mia Jurasic (Ogulin, Croatia) and Peyton Jennings (Tulsa, Okla.) will both be competing in their first collegiate matches. Jurasic is the Croatian 16 and under national champion while Jennings claimed back-to-back Oklahoma state titles at No. 1 singles her junior and senior year.

The eighth newcomer is assistant coach Luc Godin. Godin joins Hegarty’s staff and the Razorbacks after previously serving as the men’s and women’s assistant at Louisiana-Lafayette in 2013-14. He is familiar with the SEC, however, as he was an assistant for the Auburn women’s team from 2011-13.

2013-14 OVERVIEW
The Razorbacks finished the 2013-14 season with a 13-16 overall mark, including 2-11 in SEC play. Arkansas finished the season ranked No. 59 in the final ITA poll.

Arkansas brings back three players from last year’s squad. Returning are junior Flavia Araujo and sophomores Shannon Hudson and Oleksandra Shkorupeieva.

AT A GLANCE: 2014 FALL
The Razorbacks competed in six team tournaments throughout the fall schedule. Sophomore Oleksandra Shkorupeieva led the team in wins, posting a 12-2 record. Additionally, she won her flight championship at the Oklahoma Sooner Invitational and also won three straight matches at the ITA Central Regional Championships, advancing out of the qualifying bracket and into the main draw’s Round of 32. Sophomore Shannon Hudson was selected to compete in the singles qualifying draw at the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships and finished the fall with an 8-6 singles record. Junior Makenzie Craft posted an 8-7 fall singles record and advanced all the way to the Round of 16 at the ITA Central Regional.

For more information on Arkansas women’s tennis, follow @RazorbackWTEN on Twitter.