DANVILLE, Ill. – Southeast Missouri women's tennis (9-4, 1-0 OVC) secured its first Ohio Valley Conference win of the 2022 season when it defeated Eastern Illinois (2-13, 0-1 OVC), 6-1, Friday afternoon in the league opener at the Danville Tennis Center.
 
SEMO, the 2021 OVC Regular-Season Champions, grabbed the doubles point before earning victories at five of the six singles positions to improve to 1-0 in conference play. 
 
The Redhawks opened the dual with wins at the third and second doubles positions to grab an early 1-0 lead. 
 
Myroslava Zelenchuk and Vivian Lai beat Brittany Steven and Elizaveta Bukraba-Ulanova, 6-1, before Daniela Hlacikova and Teona Velkoska defeated Rachel Papavasilopoulos and Lauren Ellis, 6-2.
 
For both Redhawks doubles teams, it increased their respective win streaks to three.  
 
When the competition switched to singles, SEMO extended its advantage to 4-0 with wins at the third, fourth and first lineup slots. 
 
Hlacikova edged Christine Gouws, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 3. Zelenchuk then defeated Addison Brown, 6-1, 6-4, at the fourth flight.
 
In the battle of the top two preseason OVC players in 2022, Romana Tarajova, the 2021 OVC Player of the Year and Preseason Top Player, prevailed over Papavasilopoulos, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0, at the top singles position.
 
The Panthers took their lone point of the day at the second slot. Bukraba-Ulanova fought past Ksenia Shikanova, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. 
 
With the loss, Shikanova's win streak was halted at eight matches. 
 
Velkoska then dropped Lauren Ellis, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 6 before Lai overcame Steven, 6-3, 7-5, at fifth singles. 
 
For Lai, it was her third-straight win in 2022. 
 
SEMO was originally scheduled to face EIU Friday at 2 p.m., CT at the Darling Courts in Charleston, Illinois, but the dual was moved indoors due to inclement weather.
 
The Redhawks next host SIUE Sunday at 1 p.m., CT at the Redhawks Tennis Complex in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.