Missouri
Southeast Missouri State
@MizzouTennis Back in Action Saturday With Home Doubleheader
1/25/2019 10:32:00 AM | Tennis
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou tennis team returns to the court on Saturday, Jan. 26 as the team hosts a doubleheader at the Mizzou Tennis Complex. The Tigers kick off action against Southeast Missouri State at 1 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. match against Arkansas State. Admission to both matches is free.
Missouri opened its spring schedule last weekend with a 7-0 sweep over Saint Louis on Jan. 26. The Tigers nabbed the doubles point with wins from freshman Vivien Ábrahám and sophomore Marta Oliveira at No. 2 and juniors Gabrielle Goldin and Serena Nash at No. 3 action. Then, Mizzou earned straight-set singles victories at all six spots, with wins from Nash at No. 1, junior Mackenzy Middlebrooks at No. 2, freshman Lisa Fukutoku at No. 3, sophomore Ellie Wright at No. 4, Abraham at No. 5 and Goldin at No. 6.
Under third-year head coach Colt Gaston the Tigers competed in four tournaments in the fall. During the course of the fall season, the doubles tandem of Middlebrooks and Wright went 9-4, advanced to the championship match of the ITA Central Region Championship and earned an invitation to the Oracle ITA Fall National Championships.
Additionally, Fukutoku jumped into the national rankings following a strong fall campaign. She enters spring ranked No. 60 in the Oracle ITA National Singles Rankings, the highest ranking for a Tiger since Bea Machado Santos clocked in at No. 36 in the 2016 preseason rankings. Fukutoku went 6-1 in singles action in the fall, including a 1-0 mark against nationally ranked opponents. The Tokyo, Japan, native knocked off No. 46 Lauryn John-Baptist of Arizona State at September's Big 5 Challenge en route a singles flight title at the event, where she was a perfect 3-0. She won her first six matches of the fall before falling to a ranked opponent at the ITA Central Region Championships in October.
Following Saturday's matches, the Tigers travel to Norfolk, Va., for a pair of contests. The Tigers take on Old Dominion on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 11:30 a.m., with a 4 p.m. match against Morgan State to follow. Mizzou then returns home to host Virginia Tech on Sunday, Feb. 3 at 11 a.m.
