With No. 1 singles player Lubos Sobotka sidelined with an illness, UAFS tennis coach Bob Huckelbury had to shuffle his lineup for Friday’s spring season opener against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
            The absence of Sobotka, a senior, still made a difference, though, as the Lions lost to the NCAA Division I Golden Lions 5-4 at Burns Park in North Little Rock, Ark.
            UAPB set the tone for the match early, winning two of the three doubles matches. UAFS’ only doubles came in the No. 3 match in which the tandem of senior Matheus Silva and junior Braden Eads beat David Gomez and C. Ewald 8-0.
            UAFS split in the six singles matches. Sophomore Evan Daniel beat David Gomez 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 in the No. 3 match, senior Martin Tabler beat Jorge Villacis 6-3, 6-3 in the No. 4 match and senior Josh Helland beat Ewald 8-0 in the No. 6 match.
            The Lions will resume play on Friday against East Central University at 1 p.m. and Oklahoma Christian University at 5 p.m. at Edmond, Okla.
  
MEN’S TENNIS
UAPB 5, UAFS 4
FRIDAY
AT BURNS PARK, NORTH LITTLE ROCK
Doubles
Hugo Gomez and Eduardo Luque, UAPB, def. Evan Daniel and Pedro Carvalho, UAFS, 8-2
Jorge Villacis and Tito Bonadonna, UAPB, def. Seth Laster and Martin Tabler, UAFS, 8-6
Matheus Silva and Braden Eads, UAFS, def. David Gomez and C. Ewald, UAPB, 8-0
Singles
H. Gomez, UAPB, def. Carvalho, UAFS, 6-0, 6-2
Luque, UAPB, def. Silva, UAFS, 6-4, 6-4
Daniel, UAFS, def. D. Gomez, UAPB, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7
Tabler, UAFS, def. Villacis, UAPB, 6-3, 6-3
Nicholas Plaza, UAPB, def. Laster, UAFS, 6-2, 6-2
Josh Helland, UAFS, def. Ewald, UAPB, 6-0, 6-0