RUSTON – The 2025 spring season gets underway for Louisiana Tech this weekend as the Bulldogs will face three opponents in the Hurricane Invite in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
 
MATCH INFORMATION
Match One
Saturday, Jan. 11 | 9 a.m. CT | LA Tech vs. Arkansas State
Match Two
Saturday, Jan. 11 | approximately 1 p.m. CT | LA Tech vs. Wyoming (singles)
Sunday, Jan. 12 | 9 a.m. CT | LA Tech vs. Wyoming (doubles)
Match Three
Sunday, Jan. 13 | approximately 10 a.m. CT | LA Tech at Tulsa
 
Location: Michael D. Case Tennis Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
Live Stream: LATechSports.com/TennisStream
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH
Season two of the Amy Sargeant era begins this weekend as the Bulldogs open the spring slate at the Hurricane Invite for an eighth straight year.  A revamped LA Tech roster is coming off a successful fall season that saw the team record 49 singles victories across four tournaments.   
 
The top returner for the Bulldogs is lone senior Ana Rodrigues who joined the 50/50 club this past fall, reaching 50 career singles and doubles victories.  The fourth-year Bulldog has registered double-digit singles and doubles wins in all three seasons at LA Tech.
 
Also returning is sophomore Zoie Epps who went 12-2 in singles this past fall, setting a new program record for most fall singles wins.  She has won 18 of her last 22 singles matches dating back to last season.
 
The rest of the lineup is practically brand new.  Aside from sophomore Soha Singh who joined the team mid-spring last season, the rest of the roster will be playing their first dual matches at LA Tech.  The newcomers include freshmen Alice Brook, Maria Tsironi, and June Vigneron as well as transfers Mio Kozaki and Nina Skoric.  
 
ABOUT ARKANSAS STATE
Under then first-year head coach Sujay Lama, Arkansas State is coming off an 8-win season, the most victories by the Red Wolves since 2012.  Last season also included the most shutout victories since 2011.
 
A-State participated in four fall tournaments, highlighted by 17 total victories at the ITA Central Regional Championships.  Freshman Loles Carbo Chova had the best fall of the Red Wolves, going 8-3 in singles which included a win over Missouri.
 
This will be the first time A-State will participate in the Hurricane Invite.  LA Tech and A-State have squared off 28 times in their history with the Red Wolves owning a 19-9 advantage.  The Bulldogs won the last meeting which was a 5-2 decision in Ruston in 2022.
 
ABOUT WYOMING
Wyoming, which is entering its 14th season under head coach Dean Clower, will be participating in the Hurricane Invite for the seventh straight year.  The Cowgirls put together a 16-win season in 2024, participating in the NIT Championship while also finishing the year ranked No. 7 in the ITA Mountain Region rankings.
 
Wyoming returns just two Cowgirls – Serina Abriola and Violetta Borodina – from last year's roster.  The remaining squad includes five newcomers including Anastasiia Kochelaevskaia who advanced to the Round of 16 at the ITA Mountain Regional championships defeating opponents from Utah and Colorado.
 
This will mark the seventh straight season LA Tech and Wyoming face off on the courts, all of the matchups coming at the Hurricane Invite.  The Cowgirls won the first three meetings but the Bulldogs have claimed the last three, including a 4-3 victory last season.
 
ABOUT TULSA
Tulsa won 14 matches last spring while taking home the NIT Championship title with wins over Wyoming, West Virginia, and Colorado.  The Golden Hurricane finished the year ranked No. 10 in the ITA Central Regional rankings.
 
Tulsa has an experienced roster with four seniors – Maria Berlanga, Lily Hutchings, Ana Naranjo, and Mariana Manyoma.  All four excel in doubles as the pairing of Manyoma and Naranjo won the American Women's tennis doubles championship while Maria Berlanga and Lily Hutchings competed at the NCAA Doubles championship.  Berlanga, a 2024 All-AAC selection, led Tulsa with overall records of 21-10 in singles and 17-15 in doubles. 
 
LA Tech has yet to beat Tulsa on the courts, dropping all seven matchups.  The Golden Hurricane were 6-1 winners last season.
 
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