CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - After a historic 2019 season that saw Southeast Missouri women's tennis finish as semifinalists at the Ohio Valley Conference Championship, the 2020 Redhawks will look to build upon that success.
 
The pieces are there as SEMO's seven returners include five who heavily contributed to Southeast's first OVC Championship match victory in 16 years. 
 
"When we beat Belmont last year in the tournament, I was most excited about the win because I knew five of the six starters would be back again next year," head coach Mary Beth Gunn said of that experience. "It's a huge advantage to have that many starters return for the next season because they know what it feels like to compete at this tournament, and they are hungry to get back there again and finish stronger than the previous year."
 
Those returners include senior Kseniya Zonova (Kharkiv, Ukraine), junior Maja Lundell (Stockholm, Sweden) along with sophomores Romana Tarajova (Dolný Kubín, Slovakia), Manuela Barriga (Bogotá, Colombia), Sneha Sinha (Germantown, Tennessee), Teona Velkoska (Prilep, Macedonia) and Grace Powderly (Cape Girardeau, Missouri). Southeast also added two freshmen in Vivian Lai (Taipei, Taiwan) and Lera Valeeva (Ekaterinburg, Russia).
 
"We have a large sophomore class that is very close with one another," Gunn said of the makeup of this squad. "Now that they have a year of experience, I am excited to see their growth this season. Kseniya has proven herself on the court; she has had an impressive career here and she showed up to preseason training ready to play. Our two freshmen are both very strong players and our leaders have done a great job teaching them what it means to be a Redhawk."
 
Southeast registered a 12-10 record last season while posting a .500 mark during OVC play (4-4) in Gunn's fourth season. Their goals for the 2020 campaign encompass their stability at the helm as well as on the court.
 
"Now that our program has begun to see some continuity, we have been able to build our culture and belief in ourselves," Gunn said. "We have a strong base of talent, experience, and pride in our program. These elements make us a formidable threat to other teams in the conference. Our main objective is to play each match with focus, intensity, and energy. We have the experience to handle the big moments which make us a contender for the OVC title this year. Our focus is on growth and how we can get just a little better each day so when it comes to conference play, we are ready for the challenge."
 
Besides two new freshmen, Gunn has also added graduate assistant Phoebe Boeschen to her staff. Boeschen helped Missouri State capture the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Championship and was the fifth-ranked tennis player in the state of Missouri coming out of high school, according to TennisRecruiting.net.
 
"Adding Phoebe to our coaching staff has made an immediate positive impact on our program," Gunn said. "She has high level playing experience and a conference title, so she knows what it takes to win a conference championship. She is very knowledgeable about tennis and having her coach on court is making us better at being able to read plays and find solutions in match play. She is also an asset in recruiting future talent with her experience and connections to this region."
 
Southeast enters the 2020 dual season after strong tournament play this past fall. Velkoska and Lai along with Tarajova and Barriga each captured doubles titles while Lai also won a singles championship. At the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Ohio Valley Regional Championship, Tarajova and Zonova each tallied singles wins over Power Five schools. 
 
"We were fortunate to get in a lot of tournament play this fall," Gunn said. "It was a time to try new plays, work on some new doubles teams, and get the valuable match experience we need going into the spring season. It was also a great confidence builder since we were able to earn wins over Power Five schools and win multiple tournament titles."

Players
 
Zonova returns to SEMO for her senior season. The 2018 All-OVC performer led the Redhawks in singles (14-7, 6-2 OVC, no. 2) in 2019 and played doubles (10-6, 4-2 OVC) at the second position with Sneha. Zonova who possesses a 37-20 career singles record was also selected eighth in her second straight OVC preseason watchlist ahead of this season.
 
"Kseniya is a huge reason why our team has grown and been successful since her arrival in Cape in Fall 2015," Gunn said of Zonova. "She is a strong leader on the court and her energy and will to win urges her teammates to keep going in the hard matches. She is a threat to any team that we will play this semester."
 
Lundell rounds out the upperclassmen on the 2020 team. 
 
"Maja's game has good variety and this makes her tough to beat on the court," Gunn said of Lundell. "She has a big serve and she can play big spin balls from the baseline and she can come in. As a junior she does a great job helping the underclassman grow and get better because she always is wanting the team to do well, not just herself."
 
Tarajova leads the returning five-member sophomore class. In her inaugural collegiate campaign, she was named OVC Freshman of the Year and earned First-Team All-OVC honors. Tarajova was second on the team with a 13-5 singles record (5-3 OVC) at the top spot and competed at no. 3 doubles with Barriga (9-5, 4-1 OVC). She was also selected fourth in the OVC Preseason Top 10 Players List.
 
"Romana is a powerhouse player who had an amazing year in 2019 and we are looking to build on that this year," Gunn said of Tarajova. "Now that she has more dual match and OVC tournament experience, she is mentally prepared for the big matches that she has ahead of her. She has also been working hard in doubles to contribute in this area as well as her singles game."
 
Sinha was third on the team in 2019 with a 12-6 singles record (5-3 OVC), playing at the fifth and sixth slots. In doubles, she appeared in the second position, teaming up with Zonova for a 10-6 mark (4-2 OVC).
 
"Sneha is a tough player to beat because she plays very smart tennis and knows how to use her weapons to her advantage," Gunn said of Sinha. "She's not afraid to come in and take the ball aggressively, and this sets her apart from some of her opponents. She also brings a great energy to her matches which intimidates her opponents."
 
Velkoska was fourth on SEMO, fashioning a 11-8 singles mark (6-2) in the fourth and fifth lineup spots. In doubles with Isabella Krupa, she paced the Redhawks with a 13-8 record (4-3 OVC) primarily in the second position. 
 
"Teona is a fighter on the court, and she brings passion to the court every day," Gunn said of Velkoska. "She has improved her serve and it really helped her get some big wins this fall. She was a big asset for us in doubles and singles last year, and I'm excited to see what all she will accomplish this year."
 
Powderly who is a local from Cape Girardeau is the fifth and final sophomore. The daughter of Southeast alumni, Powderly, is the lone Missourian on the roster.
 
"Grace does a great job pushing her teammates to be their best every day," Gunn said of Powderly. "She is the hardest working player I have ever coached. She has focused a lot on adding power and variety to her serve and it's starting to pay off for her. She is an energy leader for our program, and she brings intensity and integrity to our team."
 
Lai had a strong fall in preparation for the 2020 dual schedule. The freshman from Taipei, Taiwan, led the Redhawks with an 11-4 singles record and a 9-4 doubles mark. Lai also won a pair of doubles titles with Velkoska along with a singles championship.
 
"Vivian has done a fantastic job of transitioning from junior tennis to Division I tennis," Gunn said of Lai. "She has a good sense about doubles positioning and this helps her cover a lot of ground. From the fall tournaments, she has proved that she is a high level player who is ready to compete in dual matches and make an immediate impact for our program."
 
Valeeva signed with the Redhawks in December ahead of the 2020 dual season. The Ekaterinburg, Russia native, graduated from Gymnasium 5 in 2019 and her arrival increased the SEMO roster to nine student-athletes. 
 
"Lera is a great addition to our program, both on the court and in the classroom," Gunn said of Valeeva. "She brings in a big lefty game and added with her height, she has a big serve that is difficult to return. Our focus is to help her learn and grow as much as she can before we start conference matches."
 
Southeast opens its 2020 campaign on Sunday with a doubleheader at Louisville (2-0). The Redhawks face the Cardinals at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
 
Louisville will face Ball State in Muncie, Indiana, Friday at 3 p.m. before returning home for the doubleheader against Southeast. The Cardinals are coming off of a doubleheader sweep against North Alabama last Friday, Jan. 17, where the Cards did not lose a single set over the course of the doubleheader.
 
The Redhawks season includes 19 matches. SEMO hosts three-straight OVC contests from March 27 through April 4 against Austin Peay, Murray State and Jacksonville State at the Redhawks Tennis Complex.
 
After Sunday's doubleheader, Southeast will take a short trip to Saint Louis to face the Billikens Wednesday at 12 p.m. at the St Clair Tennis Club.