APSU Women’s Tennis loses to Southeast Missouri in OVC Championship match

Evansville, IN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s tennis team had its season end in the Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Tennis Championship following a 4-1 loss against Southeast Missouri, Sunday, at the Wesselman Tennis Center.

A season in which the program posted the longest conference winning streak in program history, answer a 0-5 start to the spring with 10-straight wins, secure the program’s fifth OVC Regular Season Championship, advanced to the OVC Championship match for a program-record fourth-straight year and earn a quartet of All-OVC awards came to an end following the Governors loss to the Redhawks in the title match.

For the 10th time in its last 12 matches, Austin Peay State University secured the match’s first point after posting a pair of strong results in doubles.
 
Southeast Missouri took the early doubles advantage after winning 6-3 on the No. 3 court; however, Danielle Morris and Jana Leder answered back with a 6-3 win of their own to even it at a match apiece. 
 
The win was Morris and Leder’s eighth of the season and marked the final of Morris’ career in Clarksville. The Queensland, Australia native finishes her illustrious career with 53 doubles victories in four seasons – the second most of any Gov in the last 10 years – while her 74.3 doubles winning percentage is also the second-most in that period.
 
The APSU Govs’ All-OVC Doubles Team tandem of Denise Torrealba and Honoka Nakanishi secured the doubles point for APSU, as the duo defeated Southeast Missouri’s Romana Tarajova and Ksenia Shikanova, 6-3. 
 
Nakanishi finished with a 32-15 career doubles record, including 11 alongside her freshman counterpart in Torrealba. Nakanishi’s 68.1 doubles winning percentage is the third-highest of any Gov in the last years.
 
After the APSU Govs took the early lead, the Redhawks quickly evened the score defeating Aleks Topalovic on court five. The London, England native finished her collegiate career with 53 victories over three seasons at Austin Peay State University, while fellow London native, Martina Paladini-Jennings finished her time at APSU with 50 victories over three seasons after falling in the succeeding match.
 
Morris’ match on the No. 4 singles court was the next to go final. Morris won 113 matches in her career, the fourth most of any Gov since 2010.
 
The Redhawks secured the victory after defeating Cheng, 6-3, 6-3. Leder’s match went unfinished as she led, 1-0, in the third set, while Torrealba’s contest went unfinished late in the freshman’s first set.

Results vs. Redhawks 

Doubles

1. Denise Torrealba / Honoka Nakanishi (APSU) def. Romana Tarajova / Ksenia Shikanova (SEMO), 6-3
2. Danielle Morris / Jana Leder (APSU) def. Daniela Hlacikova / Teona Velkoska (SEMO), 6-2
3. Myroslava Zelenchuk / Vivian Lai (SEMO) def. Aleks Topalovic / Yu-Hua Cheng (APSU), 6-3

Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1*

Singles

1. Romana Tarajova (SEMO) vs. Denise Torrealba (APSU), Unfinished at 6-4, 5-4
2. Jana Leder (APSU) vs. Daniela Hlacikova (SEMO), Unfinished at 6-2, 2-6, 1-0
3. Ksenia Shikanova (SEMO) def. Martina Paladini-Jennings (APSU), 6-4, 6-0
4. Myroslava Zelenchuk (SEMO) def. Danielle Morris (APSU), 6-3, 6-3
5. Vivian Lai (SEMO) def. Aleks Topalovic (APSU), 6-2, 6-4
6. Teona Velksoka (SEMO) def. Yu-Hua Cheng (APSU), 6-3, 6-3

Order of Finish: 5, 3, 4, 6*

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