HUEY AND GOLUBIC TAKE CONFERENCE GOLD By Brooklyn Billner Harding women's tennis players, senior Piper Huey and sophomore Laura Golubic, teamed up to win the Great American Conference (GAC) tournament on Sept. 24. According to men's and women's head tennis coach David Redding, it was the first fall tennis championship tournament for the GAC and it was hosted by Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas. "\,Ve honestly didn't know what to expect going into tlus tournament," Huey said. "Then we won and won again, and it hit me that we might actually win [the whole] thing." According to Golubic, the duo played in the number one doubles bracket against teams they had lost to in spring 201 6, so they knew the competition would be difficult. "I felt confident going into the tournament," Golubic said. "We really tried to focus on their weaknesses, [so we] adjusted our game to match theirs." According to Redding, the tournament was a preview for the spring 201 7 season and was a new experience for every team. "The tournament was played a little [differently] than normal," Redding said. "Each bracket was divided by team rankings, so [Huey] and [Golubic] only played teams ranked number one for their school. Though it was a new setup, I believe we will sec it continued in the upcoming seasons." Huey and Golubic continued and were seated fifth in the Central Regional Tournament in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which was the highest ranking out of all of the GAC teams. "The 2016 season was an adjusting season for us since Coach Redding was new," Huey said. "He didn't really seem to put much pressure on us for the tournament, but wanted us to go out and play our hardest." The duo started playing together in January 2016, when Redding was hired as the head coach, according to Huey. "I saw they were both exceptional individual players, and I wanted to sec if they could come together in doubles," Redding said. "They have proven they can do it, but this tournament gave them an extra boost of confidence." According to Redding, Huey was ranked first and Golubic was ranked second in individuals at Harding when he paired them together. "[Huey] is a great partner to have," Golubic said. "She reminds me tl1at there is no point in losing focus on lost games. We are also very good at knowing each other's strengths and [weaknesses], and I am going to miss playing with her once she graduates." \IIS~ .\\II \\"O\IIS~ TL\\I~ <ill( J.19
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