Match 1 - vs. Missouri
Date: Thursday, January 19, 2023
Time: 9 a.m., CT
Location: Springfield, Mo.
Series: Mizzou leads, 11-3
Match 2 - vs. Central Arkansas
Date: Friday, January 20, 2023
Time: 8 a.m., CT
Location: Springfield, Mo.
Series:Â UCA leads, 5-1
Redhawks Open Spring Campaign in SpringfieldÂ
The defending Ohio Valley Conference Champion Southeast Missouri women's tennis team begins its spring campaign with a pair of matches in Springfield, Missouri this week. SEMO faces Missouri in its season-opener Thursday at 9 a.m., CT and Central Arkansas Friday at 8 a.m., CT.
Series History
Missouri leads its all-time series against Southeast Missouri, 11-3. Central Arkansas is 5-1 all-time against the Redhawks. SEMO edged UCA, 4-3, for its first win of the series on Feb. 19, 2022.
Gunn Enters Eighth Year at the Helm
Mary Beth Gunn begins her eighth year as Southeast Missouri's head coach. Gunn guided SEMO to it first-ever Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title, first OVC Tournament crown and first NCAA Tournament appearance in the last two years alone. She has enjoyed four winning seasons in her first seven years as SEMO's coach and posted winning conference records three times. Gunn picked up her 50th career win when the Redhawks beat SIU Edwardsville, 5-2, on Apr. 16, 2021.
Winning Redhawks
This 2023 spring, Southeast Missouri will vye for its third-consecutive winning season. SEMOÂ went 15-5 in 2021 and 15-7 in 2022. If the Redhawks accomplish the feat,
Mary Beth Gunn will become the first head coach in program history to put together winning seasons three years in a row.
Loaded with Experience
Southeast Missouri returns six players from its 2022 roster, including graduates
Romana Tarajova and
Teona Velkoska, seniors
Ksenia Shikanova,
Vivian Lai and
Lera Valeeva, and junior
Daniela Hlacikova. Lai (15-4), Velkoska (13-7), Hlacikova (12-7), Tarajova (8-9) and Shikanova (13-8) were responsible for 61 singles wins in dual action last spring. That accounted for over 80 percent of the team's dual singles victories. Hlacikova and Velkosa was SEMO's top doubles team with a 13-4 record in dual competition a year ago.
All-OVC Performers
The Redhawks bring back two First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selections in
Romana Tarajova and
Daniela Hlacikova. Tarajova put together a 17-13 overall singles record with an 8-9 mark in dual action, while Hlacikova went 17-9 overall and 12-7 in dual competition. Hlacikova was 6-1 in OVC singles, as well. Tarajova played in the #1 singles slot and Hlacikova was #2 in Southeast MIssouri's 2022 lineup.
100-Win Club
Three players, including
Romana Tarajova, Tenoa Velkosa and
Vivian Lai are in the 100-win club. In singles and doubles play combined, Tarajova leads the way with 135 wins, while Velkoska follows with 124 and Lai has 100. Tarajova's 73 career singles wins are the second-most with
Mary Beth Gunn as head coach.Â
2023 Schedule
The 2023 spring schedule for the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Champion Southeast Missouri women's tennis team includes 15 matches with four at the John C. Bierk Redhawks Tennis Complex.SEMO opens play with two matches in Springfield, Missouri beginning Jan. 19. SEMO plays Austin Peay (Feb. 4), Murray State (Feb. 5), North Alabama (Feb. 17), Bradley (Feb. 24) and Illinois-Springfield (Feb. 25) on the road before hosting Missouri State in its home-opener on Mar. 3-4. The Redhawks close out non-conference action with a trip to Belmont (Mar. 11). The Redhawks' five-match OVC slate consists of road contests at Lindenwood (Mar. 19), SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25) and Southern Indiana (Apr. 7), and home matchups with Tennessee State (Mar. 31) and Eastern Illinois (Apr. 13). This year's OVC Tournament will be held in Paducah, Kentucky on Apr. 21-23.
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