BOWLING GREEN, KY. – In her first-career appearance on the No. 1 singles line, Austin Peay State University freshman Denise Torrealba sealed the Governors' first win of the season in a 4-3 victory against Western Kentucky, Friday, at the WKU Tennis Complex.

The Govs took the early advantage in doubles, with Torrealba and senior Honoka Nakanishi defeating Western Kentucky's Laura Bernardos and Rachel Hermanova 6-1 on the No. 2 doubles court. However, the Hilltoppers claimed the afternoon's first point after wins from the No. 1 and No. 3 positions.

Facing an early deficit, Aleks Topalovic put the Govs on the board with a straight-set victory from the No. 4 line against WKU's Taylor Shaw.

Western Kentucky retook the lead with a win on the No. 5 court before Yu-Hua Cheng and Martina Paladini-Jennings' straight victories put the Govs one point away from the win.

After exclusively playing the No. 2 position throughout the Govs' previous five matches, Torrealba made her first appearance from the No. 1 line, facing WKU's Cora-Lynn Von Dungern. After falling 6-4 in a close first set, Torrealba battled back with convincing victories in the second and third set, winning 6-1 and 6-2, respectively.

With the match already decided, redshirt sophomore Jana Leder fell in a pair of close matches against Western Kentucky's Laura Bernardos from the No. 2 position.

In their victory, the Governors extended their winning streak against the Hilltoppers to four matches – the longest streak for APSU in the 41-year-old rivalry against Western Kentucky

Up Next

Austin Peay wraps up its extended road trip against West Florida, March 8, at the Ralph Carson Tennis Complex in Pensacola, Florida. Following their match against the Argonauts, the Govs return to Clarksville for the first time this season to face North Alabama at 2 p.m., March 11, at the Governors Tennis Courts.

Results vs. Western Kentucky

Doubles

1. Cora-Lynn Von Dungern / Paola Cortez (WKU) def. Jana Leder / Aleks Topalovic (APSU), 6-3
2. Honoka Nakanishi / Denise Torrealba (APSU) def. Laura Bernardos / Rachel Hermanova (WKU), 6-1
3. Sofia Blanco / Samantha Martinez (WKU) def. Yu-Hua Cheng / Martina Paladini-Jennings (APSU), 7-5

Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3*

Singles

1. Denise Torrealba (APSU) def. Cora-Lynn Von Dungern (WKU), 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
2. Laura Bernardos (WKU) def. Jana Leder (APSU), 6-4, 6-4
3. Martina Paladini-Jennings (APSU) def. Paola Cortez (WKU), 6-3, 6-2
4. Aleks Topalovic (APSU) def. Taylor Shaw (WKU), 6-3, 6-1
5. Rachel Hermanova (WKU) def. Honoka Nakanishi (APSU), 6-3, 6-1
6. Yu-Hua Cheng (APSU) def. Alexis Cramer (WKU), 6-3, 6-1

Order of Finish: 4, 5, 6, 3, 1*, 2

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