TYLER, Texas -- Midwestern State is 2-0 to start the season after wins over Southeastern Oklahoma State and Findlay (Ohio), and the Mustangs have a challenging weekend with three stout opponents waiting for them at Summers Tennis Center in the UT Tyler Invitational.

The event begins on Friday afternoon with a dual match against No. 3-ranked West Alabama at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Mustangs meet No. 19-ranked Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) at 2:30 p.m. MSU plays its final dual on Sunday against West Florida at 1:30 p.m.

The Mustangs are coming off a dramatic 4-3 victory over Findlay in their home opener on Wednesday. Hannah Yip fended off two match points at No. 2 singles for a 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1 victory, and Micaela McSpadden clinched the dual match victory with a 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-4 triumph at No. 5 singles.

Yip improved to 2-0 at No. 2 singles. The junior from Malaysia won both her matches in three sets, including a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (9) victory over Georgia Hosking of Southeastern Oklahoma State in her first match of the season.

Anda Ghinga has only lost three games in her two matches at No. 3 singles. The junior from Romania defeated Larissa Giraldi, 6-1, 6-0, at Southeastern Oklahoma State and breezed past Valentina Rivero of Findlay, 6-0, 6-2.

Skylar Minns lost the first set she played this season at Southeastern Oklahoma State, 6-1, but the senior from Aransas Pass, Texas, has won her next four sets. Minns played No. 4 singles against Findlay and prevailed, 6-4, 6-3, against Emily Hadler.

Midwestern State has not dropped at No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 or No. 5 singles in the early stages of the season.

Jessica Binzari, a junior transfer from Coker, is 1-1 at No. 1 singles after losing a close match to Anamarija Kovacevic of Findlay, 7-5, 7-5. Binzari clinched the win at Southeastern Oklahoma State with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 triumph over Vanessa Nitu in the season opener.

Binzari and Ghinga mowed down Hadler and Kovacevic at No. 2 doubles, 6-1, but that is the only doubles win for the Mustangs through their first two dual matches.

Junior Sydney Williams has teamed up with senior Shreya Chakraborty at No. 1 doubles for each of the first two dual matches, and freshman Sofia Giraldo played alongside McSpadden at No. 3 doubles in both duals.
 

West Alabama

West Alabama is making its first-ever appearance in the top five of the ITA National Rankings. The Tigers are 4-3 and finished with the bronze medal at the ITA Division II Indoor National Championships in Kearney, Nebraska. West Alabama posted 4-1 wins over No. 4 Flagler and No. 5 Saint Leo. The Tigers lost to top-ranked Barry, 4-1. Khim Iglupas is 4-0 at No. 1 singles, and Shaira Rivera is 4-0 at No. 2 singles. The Tigers have been dominate in doubles with a 14-4 record through seven dual matches. West Alabama is 6-0 at No. 1 doubles, led by Rivera and Hardija Vidnere.
 

Auburn-Montgomery

The Warhawks are 5-3 after suffering a 4-3 loss to No. 11 North Georgia in a dual match on Feb. 24 at Dahlonega, Georgia. Estefania Garcia is 6-2 at No. 1 singles following a 0-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5 victory over No. 5-ranked Angelina Linnikova of North Georgia. Ana Villalvazo is 6-0 at No. 3 singles, and Nahia Izco is 6-2 at No. 4 singles for the Warhawks. Garcia and Ane Ibarra are 6-2 at No. 1 doubles, which Villalvazo and Izco have posted a 5-2 record at No. 3 doubles.
 

West Florida

The Argonauts are 2-1 to start the spring and are coming off a 4-3 victory against No. 24-ranked Mississippi College in a Gulf South Conference clash in Clinton, Mississippi. The Argos also posted a 5-2 victory over Lee in a conference dual on Feb. 24. Aline Midori Da Silva and Nathalia Mossambani are both 2-1 in singles matches. Midori Da Silva has been playing No. 2 singles, and Mossambani has taken care of business at No. 4 singles. West Florida is 5-4 in doubles with a 2-1 record at both No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.

Midwestern State returns to the MSU Tennis Center on March 8 to face Nebraska-Kearney.
 

--MSUMustangs.com--