Fourth record year goes into the books for the Lady Bison tennis team With a record-breaking third season under its belt, the Lady Bison tennis team again displayed its desire to improve and its ability to excel by finishing the 1995 seasonwith a record of 21 wins and three losses. The women 's tennis team has consistently improved its record - 12-8 the first season, 17-5 the second season, and 18-4 the third season. And although the team was ranked 11th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) during the 1995 season, it actually finished the season in 10th place. Alicia Rojas suggested that the consistent improvement may be the result of competitive spirits. "Every player feels the need to do her best every time she plays," Rojas said. Evidence of the team's ability to excel may be found in the various honors bestowed upon its members. Of the six Harding tennis players named to the NAIA All-America tennis team, three were Lady Bisons: Rojas, a junior who played number one in singles play; Beatriz Arvizu, a junior who comprised the number two spot; and sophomore Claudia Cordera, Arvizu 's doubles partner. "I am happy for all our players,'' Coach David Elliott said. "We have never had so many All-Americans in the same year. It is a tribute to how hard the girls play and how far the program has come in recent years. " Arvizu explained how her pre-Harding experience led to her success on the Lady Bison tennis team. "Thanks to my dad, I started Waiting for the ball, Jessica Ruiz sets her racket for the perfect return. Ruiz was one of five Lady Bisons to make the All-AIC team. Photo by Jason Burt. playing tennis in Mexico around the age of 8. At the age of 10, I began playing for a local country club. Eventually, I played tennis for my state, Chihuahua. I began playing at the national level when I was 14 and continued until I came to Harding. " Harding's Lady Bisons also played well in the 1995 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC). They finished the conference in second place by winning nine of their 12 matches. In addition, five Lady Bisons were placed on the All-AIC women 's tennis list: Arvizu peaked at 1st place; Cordera, 2nd; Christina Rodriguez, 9th; Rojas, 10th; and Jessica Ruiz, 1lth. Several members of the tennis team triumphed in the academic world as well. "It has been a great year for Harding's tennis players," Elliott said. "Our girls have not only competed hard and successfully [on the courts, but] they have also achieved in the class room as we ll. " As an example, Elliott said that all 11 of the Lady Bi sons achieved a 3.0 grade point average or above, and Arvizu was named an Academic All-America Scholar-Athlete. The hard work, discipline and pursuit of success which characterized the Lady Bisons as athletes and as students will continue the precedent set for women 's tennis into the fu - ture. And those same qualities are certain to characterize the lives of the individuals who have established a legacy for success inwomen 's tennis at Harding. - Michael Carter
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==