CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (0-2) travels to Jonesboro, Arkansas, for a pair of duals in the College Tennis Showcase. The Redhawks face Central Arkansas (2-6) Saturday morning at 11 a.m. and Arkansas State Sunday at 10 a.m., CT. Both matches will be contested at the Ridgepointe Country Club.
The Redhawks most recently opened their season with two matches at Missouri. SEMO dropped a close 4-3 match and fell, 4-0, to the Tigers.
Daniela Hlacikova and
Romana Tarajova each registered a pair of victories (singles and doubles) in the doubleheader. For Hlacikova, a freshman from Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, the victories were the first in her career as a Redhawk.
After falling at No. 3 doubles, SEMO rattled off wins at the first and second positions. Gabrielle Goldin and Serena Nash beat
Vivian Lai and
Lera Valeeva, 6-2, before the Redhawks secured the doubles point.
Kseniya Zonova and
Teona Velkoska overcame Bronte Murgett and Marta Oliveira, 6-4, before the Slovakian duo of Tarajova and Hlacikova defeated Elys Ventura and Valentina Vazquez, 6-4.
Missouri then pulled ahead 2-1 with wins at the top and fourth singles slots. Murgett beat Zonova and Nash took down Lai, 6-3, 6-4.
SEMO recaptured the lead in the dual with victories at no. 3 and no. 2 singles. Hlacikova fought past Oliveira, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, and Tarajova bested Ventura, 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 for the pair's second victories of the day.
Missouri then captured the first match of the doubleheader with wins at the final two singles positions. Valentina Vazquez beat Velkoska, 6-2, 6-2, and Rom Cardenas Rifka defeated
Manuela Barriga, 6-3, 6-0.
In the second match of the doubleheader, Missouri claimed the doubles point with wins at the third and first slots. Goldin and Nash beat Lai and
Grace Powderly, 6-0, while Murgett and Oliveira defeated Tarajova and Hlacikova, 6-3.
The Tigers then earned singles wins at the second, first and fourth positions to secure the doubleheader sweep of SEMO.
Oliveira defeated Zonova, 6-1, 6-0, before Murgett fought past Tarajova, 6-1, 6-4. Nash then beat Velkoska, 6-3, 6-2 to wrap up the win for Missouri. At the third singles slot, Hlacikova opened the match with a 6-0 first set on Ventura. The match went unfinished with the second set knotted at 6-6.
Most recently, Central Arkansas edged Samford, 5-2, on Jan. 30. UCA dominated in the singles portion of the match winning in four of the six spots.
Arkansas State opens its 2021 season at this weekend's College Tennis Showcase.
After this weekend in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Southeast will head to Springfield, Missouri, to compete against Missouri State in a doubleheader February 12-13.
