APSU Sports Information
Paducah, KY – For the second year in a row, four Austin Peay State University men’s tennis players have earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors. The conference announced their honors at the annual awards banquet prior to the OVC Tennis Tournament Championship.
Senior Sean Bailey, junior Jasmin Ademovic and sophomore Dimitar Ristovski earned first-team honors, as voted by the conference coaches. Sophomore Aleksas Tverijonas claimed a spot on the second team. It’s the second time in three years the Govs have placed three on the first team, with Ademovic, Bailey and Henrique Norbiato earning first-team honors in 2011.
“We’re very proud of the whole team,” said head coach Ross Brown. “These guys completely deserve everything, they’ve done a wonderful job all year and represented themselves and the university well.”
Bailey, last season’s OVC Men’s Player of the Year, has enjoyed another sterling season in 2013. The Canadian went 19-4 overall, including a 13-3 dual record and an 8-1 mark in OVC play. He and Ademovic formed a formidable duo at No. 1 doubles, going 12-3 overall.
With this season’s honor, Bailey becomes Austin Peay’s first four-time all-conference honoree in men’s tennis. He’s the first OVC player to earn all-conference accolades during each year of his career since Eastern Kentucky’s Alex Das (2008-11).
“It’s a very nice for Sean,” Brown said. “It’s great the coaches have that much respect for him. Hopefully we can cap his career with a win this weekend.”
Ademovic could join Bailey as a four-timer next year; the Bosnian earned his third consecutive first-team nod after a 14-4 season that saw him post an 11-3 mark at No. 2 singles. For his career, Ademovic is now an exemplary 41-14 in dual play, including a 20-2 mark against OVC opponents.
A first-timer on the All-OVC first team after earning all-conference second-team consideration as a freshman, Ristovski enters the OVC Tournament as the hottest player in the field. The Macedonian has won a school-record 16 consecutive matches dating back to February 2nd and sports a 16-2 mark in dual play. He and sophomore Iago Seffrin own a 9-3 mark as the No. 2 singles pair, including 6-1 against the OVC.
Ristovski’s 16-match win streak recently eclipsed the 15-match streak Tverijonas opened the season with. The Lithuanian is 16-1 on the season, with his lone loss coming against Tennessee Tech last weekend. He’s now earned second-team all-conference honors twice to open his Austin Peay career.
With a first-round bye in hand, the Govs await the winner of the No. 3 Eastern Kentucky vs. No. 6 Morehead State in the semifinals, 2:00pm, Saturday, at the Heflin Tennis Center.
