Clarksville, TN – After seeing an Ohio Valley Conference championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament coming up one-win short last April, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s tennis team got off to a quick start to their 2019 season this past weekend in hopes of putting last season’s heartbreaking loss in the OVC finals behind them and get over the final hurdle and a berth into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
The Governors opened their season on Saturday, January 19th, with a 4-3 victory at Middle Tennessee, followed by a 4-3 win at Chattanooga on Sunday, January 20th, the same two teams they opened with losses to last season by 5-2 and 6-1 finals.
Leading the way for the Governors (2-0) is the most decorated female player in school history, in three-time OVC Player of the Year Lidia Yanes Garcia, who won both matches at No. 1 singles in straight sets.
But she isn’t the only Gov to win a pair of season-opening singles matches, with Lidia’s sister, and two-time All-OVC First-Team selection, Claudia Yanes Garcia winning both of her matches at No. 2 singles and Tatiana Lopez at No. 3 singles.
Also picking up wins over the opening weekend was 2018 All-OVC Second-Team selection Helena Kuppig at No. 4 seed versus Middle Tennessee and Danielle Morris with a victory at No. 5 singles vs. Chattanooga.
But while the Govs have proven to the solid at singles play they need to some improvement with their play in doubles, as they only picked up one victory in six doubles matches – a Lopez/Honoka Nakanishi victory at No. 2 doubles vs. Chattanooga.
The Governors will now have a chance to build on their quick start with five straight home matches, beginning with Conference USA member Western Kentucky on January 26th, followed by in-state rivals Carson Newman (February 1st) and Cumberland (February 5th).
Austin Peay will closeout the five-match homestand with a Feb. 9th match versus Central Arkansas and IUPUI on February 15th.
The Govs open OVC play on March 23rd, when they play host to Tennessee State, with the OVC Tournament Championship running from April 26th-28th at the Centennial Sportsflex Tennis Center in Nashville, TN.
