Southeast Missouri (3-2) at Bradley (3-4)

Date: Friday, February 24, 2023
Time: 4 p.m., CT
Location: Pekin, Ill.
Facility: Parkside Fitness Center
Series: SEMO leads, 10-5

Southeast Missouri (3-2) at Illinois-Springfield (0-2)

Date: Saturday, February 25, 2023
Time: 11 a.m., CT
Location: Springfield, Ill.
Facility: Springfield Racquet & Fitness Center
Series: First Meeting

Redhawks Head to Illinois
Southeast Missouri (3-2) plays two matches in Illinois this weekend. The Redhawks head to Bradley (3-4) for a 4 p.m., CT match Friday and Illinois-Springfield (0-2) for a 11 a.m., CT matchup Saturday.

Series History
The Redhawks are 10-5 all-time against Bradley. Southeast Missouri beat the Braves during each of its last four matches in the series. Saturday marks the first meeting between SEMO and Illinois-Springfield.

Two-Match Winning Streak
Southeast Missouri carries a two-match winning streak into the weekend. SEMO handed Murray State its first loss of the season with a 4-3 victory on Feb. 5 and beat North Alabama, 5-2, on Feb. 18. Both of those matches were on the road. The Redhawks are currently tied for second in the Ohio Valley Conference with three wins.

Four-Match Singles Winning Streak for Hlacikova
Daniela Hlacikova is on a four-match singles winning streak. Hlacikova, who leads the team with a 4-1 dual singles record this spring, defeated Central Arkansas' Sumomo Hamanga (6-2, 6-2), Austin Peay's Denise Torrealba (6-4, 7-5), Murray State's Sarah Bureau (6-7, 7-5, 6-4) and North Alabama's Juliette Talieu (6-1, 1-6, 6-3) during that stretch. She competed her last two matches in the No. 1 singles position. Both of her wins in that spot went three sets.

Winning Records
Southeast Missouri and SIU Edwardsville are presently the only two Ohio Valley Conference teams with winning records. SIUE leads the league with a 6-1 record and is on a five-match winning streak. SEMO is second with a 3-2 mark and has won two-straight contests.

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 (56), Ksenia Shikanova (35), Romana Tarajova (64) and Teona Velkoska (53) have over 200 singles victories between them in their careers. They have a combined 208 wins and have teamed up to compile a 208-118 record in singles competition. Lai (1st, 56-22), Shikanova (35-20, 7th), Tarajova (8th, 64-37) and Velkoska (53-39) 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 139 (76 singles/63 doubles), Teona Velkoska has 128 (62 singles/66 doubles) and Vivian Lai has 106 (69 singles/37 doubles) victories. In all, four players are members of Gunn's 100-Win Club. KseniyaZonova (2017-21) is the other (142, 77 singles/65 doubles).

69 and Counting
With 69 wins, eighth-year Head Coach Mary Beth Gunn has the most victories of any coach in Southeast Missouri women's tennis history. Gunn is 69-67 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.

Up Next
Southeast Missouri will host Missouri State in its home-opening matches Mar. 3-4. SEMO faces the Bears at 3 p.m. on Mar. 3 and 11 a.m. on Mar. 4 at the John C. Bierk Redhawks Tennis Complex.