CLARKSVILLE – After winning 20 consecutive regular-season matches, Austin Peay State University women's tennis dropped a regular-season match for the first time in 647 days when they fell to Chattanooga, 4-3, Monday at the Governors Tennis Center.
In doubles play, Fabienne Schmidt and Aleks Topalovic played as the No. 2 pairing for the Governors in their first ever match together. Schmidt and Topalovic fell to Chattanooga's Jessie Young and Bogdana Zaporozhets (6-3) in the first doubles match of the day.
Playing on the third doubles line, Martina Paladini-Jennings and Sarah Heckel were paired together for the first time as Governors. Paladini-Jennings and Heckel beat Chattanooga's Lilly Holmes and Callie Billman (6-4) to win their debut as a duo and give the Govs a shot to pick up the doubles point in the season-opening match.
The doubles point came down to the match between the No. 1 pairings, where Danielle Morris was teamed up with Jana Leder, who was made her Austin Peay debut in the match. Leder and Morris fell to Chattanooga's Emma Van Hee and Caroline Gibbons (7-6(5)) as the Governors dropped the doubles point and trailed, 1-0, heading into singles play.
In singles action, the Governors picked up three points, winning the No. 1, 2, and 3 matchups. Morris, playing as the No. 2, picked up the first point for the Govs, knocking off Zaporozhets, (6-2, 6-2). Leder picked up her first win as a Governor in the No. 3 matchup, beating Chattanooga's Caroline Gibbons (6-2, 6-4).
In the No. 1 matchup, Schmidt picked up the Governors third point, knocking off the Mocs Jessie Young (7-6(5), 7-5). After Paladini-Jennings dropped the No. 4 matchup to Chattanooga's Van Hee (6-4, 6-1), the Govs led 3-2 heading into the final two double matches.
In the last two doubles matches, the Govs fell in to hard-fought battles. Playing as the No. 5, Topalovic fell to Chattanooga's Holmes (6-4, 6-3) to tie the match, 3-3. In the final match, the Govs lone-senior Ana Albertson was playing as the No. 6, and fell to the Moc's Billman (6-4, 6-3), as Chattanooga won the season-opening match, 4-3.
Results
Doubles
1. Emma Van Hee/Caroline Gibbons (UTC) def. Danielle Morris/ Jana Leder (APSU) 7-6 (7-5)
2. Jessie Young/Bogdana Zaporozhets (UTC) def. Fabienne Schmidt/Aleks TOPALOVIC (APSU) 6-3
3. Martina Paladini-Jennings/Sarah Heckel (APSU) def. Lilly Holmes/Callie Billman (UTC) 6-4
Singles
1. Fabienne Schmidt (APSU) def. Jessie Young (UTC) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5
2. Danielle Morris (APSU) def. Bogdana Zaporozhets (UTC) 6-2, 6-2
3. Jana Leder (APSU) def. Caroline Gibbons (UTC) 6-2, 6-4
4. Emma Van Hee (UTC) def. Martina Paladini-Jennings (APSU) 6-4, 6-1
5. Lilly Holmes (UTC) def. Aleks Topalovic (APSU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Callie Billman (UTC) def. Ana Albertson (APSU) 6-4, 6-3
Match Notes:
Austin Peay 0-1
Chattanooga 2-0
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,4,1,5,6)
Official: Scott Miller
Up Next
The Governors will kick off a five-match road trip when they play a 10 a.m., Friday, match at Central Arkansas. After the matchup with Central Arkansas, the Govs will stay in Conway, Arkansas, to play a 1 p.m., Saturday, match against Louisiana-Monroe at UCA Tennis Courts.
