CLARKSVILLE – For the first time this season, Austin Peay State University women's tennis will hit the road for a 1 p.m., Friday, match against Central Arkansas and a 1 p.m., Saturday, match against Southern Arkansas, with both matches being played at Burns Park in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Austin Peay (0-1) dropped a hard-fought match in their season opener against Chattanooga, 4-3, at the Governors Tennis Center. The Govs are now set to embark on a five-match road trip that will not see them play a match in Clarksville until a 12 p.m., Feb. 11, match against Cumberland.

In the season opener against Chattanooga, the Govs deployed a trio of new doubles pairings against the Mocs. Sophomore Danielle Morris and freshman Jana Leder were paired together in the No. 1 position, with Leder making her Austin Peay debut. On the No. 2 line, junior Fabienne Schmidt and sophomore-transfer Aleks Topalovic played their first match together as Governors.

The Governors lone doubles win against Chattanooga came from the No. 3 pairing of freshman Sarah Heckel and sophomore-transfer Martina Paladini-Jennings, as the duo dispatched the No. 3 pairing from Chattanooga, 6-4.

In singles action, the Governors placed the Ohio Valley Conference's No. 2 ranked preseason player, Schmidt, in the No. 1 positon. Schmidt picked up a win, knocking off Chatanooga's No. 1, 7-6(5), 7-5. Morris, who was the OVC's No.6 ranked player in the preseason, played as the No. 2 for the Govs in the season opener, where she picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win.

The Governors final singles win in the match against Chattanooga came from Leder, who was making her Governor debut. Leder played as the No. 3 for the Governors, where she knocked off Chattanooga's Caroline Gibbons, 6-2, 6-4.

Paladini-Jennings and Topalovic played as the Governors No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, in the Governors season opening match against Chattanooga. Senior Ana Albertson rounded out the Govs lineup, playing on the No. 6 lineup in the first match of her senior season.

The Opposition

Central Arkansas (1-3)

Last Meeting: Austin Peay won 6-1 at the Governors Tennis Center, Feb. 9, 2019.

Central Arkansas kicked off their season with a win over Oral Roberts, 5-2. After the season-opening win, the Sugar Bears have dropped three straight matches on the road.

Southern Arkansas (0-0)

Last Meeting: This is the Governors first ever meeting with the Muleriders.

The Southern Arkansas Muleriders will kick off their spring season when they take on the Govs.

Up Next

Austin Peay will continue its five-match road trip with a quick jaunt to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for a 1 p.m., Feb. 1, match against Western Kentucky.