APSU Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s tennis team begins its most critical stretch of the season this weekend, starting with two road Ohio Valley Conference matches against Southeast Missouri, 2:00pm, Friday and against UT Martin, 12:00pm, Saturday.
The Govs (6-6, 2-1 OVC) have won five of their past six matches, their only loss coming in a narrow 4-3 defeat on the road against Jacksonville State.
The Govs defeated Saint Louis in a non-conference match in their last outing, despite only playing with five players. APSU currently sits in third in the OVC, defeating Tennessee State and Belmont at home in the opening weekend of OVC play.
Lidia Yanes Garcia lost her first match of the season at No. 2 singles, but has played every match at No. 1 singles since and is a perfect 11-0 in those matches. Helena Kuppig has also been a revelation for the Govs this season, as she has won her past six singles matches and is 9-3 overall in singles (8-2 at the No. 3 position). Yanes Garcia adjusted to a new doubles teammate in freshman Fabienne Schmidt and the duo has performed wonderfully, compiling an 8-1 mark and 2-0 OVC mark at No. 1 doubles. Schmidt herself has not been too shabby in singles as well, going 8-3 at the No. 2 singles position.
Opponent Spotlight
Southeast Missouri (4-8, 1-2 OVC) comes in having lost four of its past five matches. The Redhawks’ lone win in the OVC came against Tennessee State. The Redhawks boast one of the stars of the OVC in Oleksandra Doroshenko, a former OVC Freshman of the Year award winner and was named OVC Player of the Week last week.
In the Ross Brown era, the Govs are 3-2 against the Redhawks, but are 2-0 on the road. In addition, the twin sister duo of Lidia and Claudia Yanes Garcia are undefeated in singles matches in dual and tournament play against Redhawk opponents.
UT Martin (1-10, 1-1 OVC) does not have a flattering record, but that should not fool the Govs. The Skyhawks have met three Southeastern Conference opponents (Tennessee twice, Alabama once), Memphis, and conference leading Eastern Kentucky, who is a perfect 4-0 in OVC play. UT Martin won its last match to earn its first win of the season, defeating Belmont, who the Govs also defeated earlier this season at home.
UT Martin faces Murray State, who are also unbeaten in conference play, the day before playing the Govs. Lidia Yanes Garcia has the best career singles mark against the Skyhawks, compiling a 5-1 record in dual and tournament play.
