Southeast Missouri (2-2) at North Alabama (1-4)
Date: Saturday, February 18, 2023
Time: 12:30 p.m., CT
Location: Florence, Ala
Series: First Meeting
Live Stats: RoarLions.com
Back in Action
Southeast Missouri (2-2) continues its season when it faces North Alabama (1-4) Saturday. Start time is set for 12:30 p.m., CT.
Series History
The Redhawks face North Alabama for the first time in 2023. UNA is a member of the ASUN Conference.
Redhawk Rewind
Southeast Missouri last competed in Kentucky when it played Austin Peay and Murray State on Feb. 4-5. SEMO sent MSU to its first loss of the season with a 4-3 victory after dropping a 6-1 decision against APSU. The Redhawks scored four of the six singles points to get their win over the Racers.
OVC Co-Player of the Week
Southeast Missouri's Daniela Hlacikova picked up her team's first Ohio Valley Conference award when she was named the league's Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 8. Hlacikova shared the honor with Eastern Illinois' Elizaveta Bukraba-Ulanova. A native of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, Hlacikova went 2-0 between the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots. She beat Austin Peay's Denise Torrealba, 6-4, 7-5, in straight sets and turned around a day later to knock off Murray State's Sarah Bureau in three sets, 6-7, 7-5, 6-4. Hlacikova defeated Bureau during her first time competing in the No. 1 position in dual action this year. She tops the Redhawks with a 3-1 dual singles record thus far.
Piling Up the Wins
Vivian Lai (55), Ksenia Shikanova (35), Romana Tarajova (63) and Teona Velkoska (52) have over 200 singles victories between them in their careers. They have a combined 205 wins and have teamed up to compile a 205-117 record in singles competition. Lai (1st, 54-21), Shikanova (35-20, 7th), Tarajova (8th, 63-37) and Velkoska (52-39) are all ranked among SEMO's top 10 leaders in best career singles records.
100-Win Club
Three current Redhawks are part of the 100-Win Club (singles/doubles wins combined) under Mary Beth Gunn. Romana Tarajova has 138 (75 singles/63 doubles), Teona Velkoska has 126 (61 singles/65 doubles) and Vivian Lai has 104 (68 singles/36 doubles) victories. In all, four players are members of Gunn's 100-Win Club. Kseniya Zonova (2017-21) is the other (142, 77 singles/65 doubles).
68 and Counting
With 68 wins, eighth-year Head Coach Mary Beth Gunn has the most victories of any coach in Southeast Missouri women's tennis history. Gunn is 68-67 overall and 24-26 in Ohio Valley Conference play. She also guided SEMO to its only OVC regular-season championship (2021), OVC Tournament crown (2022) and NCAA Tournament appearance (2022). Gunn led the Redhawks to 15 wins in two-straight seasons, the only head coach in program history to accomplish that feat as well.
Redhawks Picked First in OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast Missouri's women's tennis team was picked first in the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Tennis Preseason Poll. SEMO and SIU Edwardsville were picked atop the six-team predicted order of finish with 23 points and three first-place votes. Eastern Illinois (17 pts.), Tennessee State (12 pts.) and first-year league members Lindenwood (8 pts.) and Southern Indiana (7 pts.) completed the poll.
OVC Preseason Top-10
Five Redhawks were ranked among the Ohio Valley Conference's Preseason Top-10. Daniela Hlacikova and Romana Tarajova were second and third, respectively, while Ksenia Shikanova was fifth, Vivian Lai was seventh and Trinity Calinescu tied for ninth. Hlacikova and Tarajova were both First-Team All-OVC selections a year ago.
All-Time Singles Leader
Romana Tarajova is Southeast Missouri's all-time career leader in singles victories. Tarajova enters the weekend with a career record of 63-37 in singles play. Her .630 winning percentage ranks ninth-best in program history.
Looking Ahead
After Saturday's matchup, Southeast Missouri will get a six-day break before heading to Bradley (Feb. 24) and Illinois-Springfield (Feb. 25).
