CLARKSVILLE – Austin Peay State University women's tennis team faces its last road test of the year in its bid to remain unbeaten, taking on Eastern Illinois, 2 p.m., Friday, and SIU Edwardsville, 11 a.m., Saturday.
The Governors (16-0, 4-0 OVC) come into the match as only one of two NCAA Division I women's tennis teams that are still unbeaten, with the other being No. 1 Georgia (19-0). The Govs defeated Southeast Missouri and UT Martin to stay atop the Ohio Valley Conference standings last weekend.
The Govs saw their historic season continue with a record-breaking weekend. The duo of Tatiana Lopez and Honoka Nakanishi won their 10th straight doubles match in the 7-0 win over Southeast Missouri, setting a new program record. If that was not enough, the pair extended it to 11 the following day with a win over UT Martin's No. 1 pair, which featured the current OVC Player of the Week. Claudia Yanes Garcia saw her 14-match singles win streak come to an end, but Helena Kuppig is still on a 12-match singles streak after her two victories this past weekend.
Opponent Spotlight
The Govs' first opponent, Eastern Illinois, has given the Govs headaches in the past. The Panthers (11-7, 2-2 OVC) had won five straight matches before the Govs won the previous two encounters. The Panthers come into the match with a two-match win streak, disposing of Tennessee State, 7-0, in OVC play before downing Martin Methodist in non-conference action. The Govs defeated the Panthers last season, 6-1, but three of the six singles matches went to three sets, with the Govs winning two of those.
The Govs will stay in the Prairie State to take on SIUE the following day. The Cougars (6-10, 1-3 OVC) might not have an impressive record, but it is certainly better than the winless season they suffered a year ago. The Cougars defeated Tennessee State for their first OVC win in two seasons last weekend, but fell 5-2 to Belmont the following day. Up until last season, the Cougars had won five in a row against the, but the Govs demolished SIUE, 7-0, last year. Yanes Garcia and Brittney Covington each won 6-0, 6-0 in singles, with Ana Albertson and Fabienne Schmidt also winning a set 6-0 in their singles wins.
Due to potential weather, the schedule may be changed for both matches. Stay tuned for any updates on Twitter @AustinPeayWTN.
