JONESBORO, Ark. (8/2/24) – Arkansas State tennis head coach Sujay Lama excitedly announced the 2024-25 slate for his second year leading the Red Wolves.
The docket includes a home tournament in the fall and seven home matches in the spring. Of A-State's 21 opponents in the spring, 14 finished the 2024 season with a winning percentage of .500 or better.
"We've tried to find the right balance between challenging ourselves but nurturing the confidence and growth of a young team," Lama said. "The ultimate goal is for the schedule to allow us to get ready and peak for conference championships and post season play. We can't wait to get the season started."
A-State kicks off the fall in Nashville, Tenn., at the Belmont/Lipscomb Invitational (Sept. 12-14) before returning to the Natural State for the UCA Invite in Conway (Sept. 27-28). The Red Wolves then make the short trip to Memphis for the ITA Central Regional Championships (Oct. 8-14), followed by the inaugural Scarlet and Black Open. The Red Wolves then compete in their final tournament of the fall in Lynchburg, Va., at the Liberty Invite (Nov. 1-3).
The Scarlet and Black opens the spring dual-match campaign in Tulsa, Okla., at the Hurricane Invite (Jan. 11-12), taking on Louisiana Tech, Wyoming and the host Golden Hurricane. A-State then returns home for its home opener against Missouri State (Jan. 17) before traveling to Ole Miss (Jan. 19).
February opens with road tests at Mississippi State (Feb. 2) and Butler (Feb. 7) ahead of a home match versus Southeast Missouri (Feb. 14). The Red Wolves conclude non-conference play with a doubleheader in Nacogdoches, Texas, against Stephen F. Austin and Lamar (Feb. 22) before opening Sun Belt Conference play on the road at ULM (March 8), Louisiana (March 15) and Texas State (March 16).
Four consecutive home matches follow, with the Red Wolves hosting Coastal Carolina (March 21), Georgia Southern (March 22), App State (March 29) and Marshall (March 30). A-State returns to the road to face Troy (April 5) and Georgia State (April 6) before its home finale against Southern Miss (April 12). The regular season concludes April 19 at South Alabama, with the Sun Belt Conference Tournament slated for April 24-27 in Rome, Ga.
In Lama's first season as head coach, A-State posted its most victories since 2012, including the most shutout wins since 2011. The program, which won multiple conference matches for just the fourth time since 2011, shattered program records for home attendance. In the offseason, Lama also landed the 19th-best mid-major recruiting class in the nation entering the 2024-25 campaign, a class that includes three of the highest-rated recruits in program history.
