Clarksville, TN – For the fifth time in Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s tennis history, the Governors are the Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season Champions.
Austin Peay State University sent its four seniors out with one final home victory, sweeping Tennessee State 7-0, Friday, at the Governors Tennis Courts.
T
he win not only marked the eighth OVC championship in program history but also broke the program record for the longest OVC winning streak in program history at 11 matches.
The Governors (10-5, 6-0 OVC), continued their dominant doubles play against the Tigers, winning each of their matches in convincing fashion.
Senior Aleks Topalovic and freshman Yu-Hua Cheng won their match from the No. 3 court by default due to Tennessee State not having enough players to field a full lineup. With the win, the duo stays perfect on the season at 3-0.
Senior Danielle Morris and redshirt sophomore Jana Leder earned a convincing, 6-1, win on the No. 2 doubles court against the Tigers’ tandem of Daniela Koleva and Presely Hall. The win is the pair’s sixth of the spring and the 12th the pair have captured together in their careers.
Just seconds after Morris and Leder’s win, Denise Torrealba and Honoka Nakanishi defeated Tennessee State’s Naomi Von Bose and Franka Sindici, 6-1, to earn their eighth-straight victory from the No. 1 position and team-best 10th overall.
The Tigers were no match for the Govs in singles play, as APSU won in straight sets on each court, with the one exception being in Cheng’s win by default from the No. 6.
Martina Paladini-Jennings’ match was the first to go final, as the senior picked up her second double bagel of the season in a 6-0, 6-0 victory against Hall on the No. 4 position. The win marked the London, England natives 11 of the season, which is tied for a team-best mark.
In what may cause some flashbacks to last season’s OVC Tournament Championship match against Southeast Missouri, Morris secured the regular-season title for Austin Peay, winning 6-0, 6-1 on the No. 3 court. Morris won the tournament championship for APSU, on April 25th, 2021, capping off a 3-1 comeback for the Govs against the Redhawks.
The reigning OVC Player of the Week, Torrealba earned her 11th win of the season after defeating Koleva in a pair of 6-1 sets. The freshman is 9-1 since being elevated to the No. 1 position and has won five-straight matches since an April 9 victory against Eastern Illinois.
As the final match remaining, Leder finished off the Govs’ sweep of the Tigers in a 6-3, 6-0 victory. The Remchignegn, Germany native has won eight of her last nine matches and boasts a 5-1 record in OVC play.
After starting the season 0-5, the Governors are one away from finishing on an 11-match winning streak, which would be the third-longest streak in program history, trailing only the 2019 season’s 22-match winning streak and 2010’s 13-match streak.
Results vs. Tennessee State
Doubles
- Denise Torrealba / Honoka Nakanishi (APSU) def. Naomi Von Bose / Franka Sindici (TSU), 6-1
- Jana Leder / Danielle Morris (APSU) def. Daniela Koleva / Presley Hall (TSU), 6-1
- Aleks Topalovic / Yu-Hua Cheng (APSU) won by default
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
Singles
- Denise Torrealba (APSU) Daniela Koleva (TSU), 6-1, 6-1
- Jana Leder (APSU) def. Naomi Von Buse (TSU), 6-3, 6-0
- Danielle Morris (APSU) def. Franka Sindici (TSU), 6-0, 6-1
- Martina Paladini-Jennings (APSU) def. Presely Hall (TSU), 6-0, 6-0
- Aleks Topalovic (APSU) def. Mckhia McCray (TSU), 6-0, 6-2
- Yu-Hua Cheng (APSU) won by default
Order of Finish: 6, 4, 3*, 5, 1, 2
Follow the APSU Govs
For news and updates ahead of the Governors’ matches the Racers, follow the APSU women’s tennis team on Twitter (@GovsWTN), Instagram (@GovsTennis) and Facebook (Austin Peay Tennis).
Next Up For APSU Women’s Tennis
The Austin Peay State University women’s tennis team travels to Calloway County, Kentucky for their final regular-season match as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Govs will face the Racers in a 1:00pm match at the Purcell Courts before turning their attention to the OVC Tournament.
After locking in the No. 1 seed in the OVC Women’s Tennis Championship following MSU’s victory against Southeast Missouri, the Governors will play the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup in the tournament, April 30th at the Wesselman Tennis Center in Evansville, Indiana.
