Clarksville, TN – After an undefeated regular season and an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship last season, Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s tennis is set to kick off the 2020 spring season with a 1:00pm, Monday, match against Chattanooga at the Governors Tennis Center.
The Governors return four players from last year’s NCAA Tournament team, led by the OVC’s No. 2 and No. 6 ranked players – Fabienne Schmidt and Danielle Morris.
Schmidt and Morris started the 2019-20 season with successful fall campaigns that saw the duo go 8-2 when playing together in doubles.
In singles play, Schmidt posted a 7-1 record, while Morris posted a team-best 8-2 record.
Ana Albertson returns from last year’s squad as the Governors lone senior. During the fall season, Albertson played to a 6-3 singles record – which was good for the best record she has posted in a fall season during her four years in Clarksville.
Doubles specialist Honoka Nakanishi is the final returner from the APSU Governors 2018-19 roster. Nakanishi posted a 13-2 record in doubles play last season, while setting the program record for the longest doubles winning streak (13 matches).
A pair of sophomore-transfers will look to build on strong fall campaigns during their first season at Austin Peay State University. East Carolina transfer Martina Paladini-Jennings posted a 5-2 record during the fall season, and was ranked as the OVC’s No. 10 player in the preseason. Aleks Topalovic, a Memphis transfer, posted a 7-2 record during her first fall as a Governor. Her seven fall wins were tied for the second most by an Austin Peay State University player during the 2019 fall season.
Finally, a pair of freshman from Germany will round out the Governors 2020 spring roster. Sarah Heckel spent the fall season in Clarksville, where she won her final three singles matches of the fall after starting her career 0-3. Leder has yet to make her Austin Peay State University debut, as the native of Remchingen, Germany, signed with the Govs on January 10th.
On January 10th, the University Sports Program named the Austin Peay State University women’s tennis team as the most improved women’s tennis team in the NCAA. The study used the Massey Ratings to determine that after the Governors undefeated season and first-ever NCAA Tournament trip, they were the most improved women’s tennis team in the country a season ago.
About the Chattanooga Mocs
All-Time Series: APSU trails 19-3
Last Meeting: ASPU won 4-3 at the Strang-Voges Tennis Center in Chattanooga, January 20th, 2019
Chattanooga kicked off its spring season with a 7-0 sweep of Union College, Sunday at the Guerry Tennis Center in Chattanooga. The Mocs return five players from last season’s team, including four starters.
Next Up For APSU Women’s Tennis
The Austin Peay State University Governors will start a five-game road trip when they travel to Conway, Arkansas, for a 10:00am, Friday, match against Central Arkansas.
