Austin Peay State University Athletics

Women’s Tennis
Inducted 1996

Shannon Peters, simply put, is the best women’s tennis player in OVC history.  From 1988-91 she enjoyed an unparalleled league career.  Peters was OVC Women’s Tennis Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991.  As a senior, she was named runner up as Southeast Regional Volvo Tennis/Senior Player of the Year.  Remarkably, Peters never lost an OVC singles match during her career and was a member of the 1988 and 1989 OVC championship teams.  A four-time All-OVC selection, the Sydney, Australia native captured eight first-place OVC medals during her illustrious career.  As a freshman, Peters collected the No. 5 singles and No. 2 doubles titles; as a sophomore, was champion at No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles, and as a junior and senior was champion at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles.  Peters’ overall APSU singles mark was 64-2, including and OVC-record 56 straight victories.  In her final two seasons at No. 1 singles, she not only went 41-0 but never was extended beyond two sets as well.  In 1990, Peters won 255 games while losing 64 in 21 matches (opponents averaged just 1.5 games per set).  Peters lost only four games in three matches in capturing the OVC tournament No. 1 singles title.  She won five professional tennis titles as amateur during the Summer of 1990.  In 1991, Peters won 240 games while losing only 34 games in 20 matches.  Opponents averaged winning only 0.8 games per set.  She also excelled in doubles, posting four-year 57-3 doubles records, including 52-3 at No. 1 doubles.  Peters was the unanimous 1991 Joy Award recipient as APSU’s most valuable senior athlete.