CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Austin Peay State University women's tennis team sits atop the Ohio Valley Conference standings following a 5-2 victory against Southeast Missouri, Saturday, at the Redhawks Tennis Complex.
In the win, Austin Peay (9-5, 5-0 OVC) is the only remaining unbeaten team in OVC play, as the Governors handed Southeast Missouri (13-5, 5-1) its first conference loss of the season. The Govs now control their own destiny towards obtaining their sixth OVC Regular Season Championship in program history with one week remaining in the season.
The Govs earned their eighth-straight doubles point in a hard-fought battle with the Redhawks that came down to the final match.
The Govs' top pairing of Denise Torrealba and Honoka Nakanishi gave APSU the early advantage earning their eight-straight win, including their seventh in as many opportunities from the No. 1 position.
The Govs dropped their first doubles match of conference play on the No. 2 court; however, senior Aleks Topalovic and freshman Yu-Hua Cheng defeated Southeast Missouri's Vivian Lai and Myroslava Zelenchuk, 6-2, to secure the first point of the afternoon.
With the early advantage following obtaining the doubles point, Topalovic extended the Govs' lead, defeating Lai 6-1, 6-4 for her second-straight victory. Moments later, Cheng furthered the advantage, defeating Teona Velkoska in straight sets for her eighth victory of the spring.
Southeast Missouri won a pair of singles matches, defeating Jana Leder on the No. 2 court before handing senior Danielle Morris her first singles loss of the year, in addition to her first since April 3, 2021.
After dropping a pair of matches against SEMO last season, senior Martina Paladini-Jennings exacted her revenge on the Redhawks, coming back after dropping her first set to earn the match-clinching point.
With the Governors having secured their ninth-straight win, Denise Torrealba continued her stellar freshman season, defeating SEMO's Romana Tarajova – the reigning OVC Player of the Year and a two-time First Team All-OVC – in three sets. In her victory against Tarajova,
Torrealba now has defeated the last two OVC Player of the Year in Tarajova and EIU's Rachel Papavasilopoulos.
The Govs have won 12-straight OVC matches, which is the second-longest streak in program history, trailing only a 13-match winning streak from March 19, 2010 to March 5, 2011. Their nine-straight wins are the second-longest under head coach Ross Brown, trailing only the a 22-match winning streak that encompassed the 2019 season.
Up Next
The Governors begin their final week of the regular season with Senior Day, April 22 against Tennessee State. Following their 10 a.m. match against the Tigers, the Govs travel to Calloway County, Kentucky for a 1 p.m. match against Murray State in their regular-season finale.
Results vs. Southeast Missouri
Doubles
- Denise Torrealba / Honoka Nakanishi (APSU) def. Romana Tarajova / Ksenia Shikaanova (SEMO), 6-3
- Daniela Hlacikova / Teona Velkoska (SEMO) def. Jana Leder / Danielle Morris (APSU), 6-2
- Aleks Topalovic / Yu-Hua Cheng (APSU) def. Vivian Lai /Myroslava Zelenchuk (SEMO), 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles
- Denise Torrealba (APSU) def. Romana Tarajova (SEMO), 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3
- Daniela Hlacikova (SEMO) def. Jana Leder (APSU), 6-4, 6-4
- Martina Paladini-Jennings (APSU) def. Ksenia Shikanova (SEMO), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
- Myroslava Zelenchuk (SEMO) def. Danielle Morris (APSU), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
- Aleks Topalovic (APSU) def. Vivian Lai (SEMO), 6-1, 6-4
- Yu-Hua Cheng (APSU) def. Teona Velkoska (SEMO) 6-2, 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 2, 4, 3*, 1
Follow the Govs on Social
For news and updates ahead of the Governors' matches against Tennessee State and the Racers, follow the women's tennis team on Twitter (@GovsWTN), Instagram (@GovsTennis) and Facebook (Austin Peay Tennis).
