Southeast Missouri (1-1) vs. Austin Peay (2-1)
Date: Saturday, February 4, 2023
Time: 6:30 p.m., CT
Location: Hardin, Ky.
Series: APSU leads, 19-15
 
Southeast Missouri (1-1) vs. Murray State (3-0)
Date: Sunday, February 5, 2023
Time: 4:30 p.m., CT
Location: Hardin, Ky.
Series: MSU leads, 26-4
 
Back in Action
Southeast Missouri (1-1) resumes action with a pair of matches against former Ohio Valley Conference members Austin Peay (2-1) and Murray State (3-0) this weekend. SEMO will face Austin Peay Saturday and Murray State Sunday. Start time  is 6:30 p.m., CT Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
 
Off and Running
Southeast Missouri is 1-1 to start the young season. SEMO heads to Kentucky well-rested from a 15-day layoff after opening the year with two matches in Springfield, Missouri. The Redhawks dropped their season-opener to Missouri on Jan. 19 and beat Central Arkansas, 7-0, on Jan. 20. SEMO was one of three Ohio Valley Conference teams to pick up wins during the opening weekend of play joining SIU Edwardsville (1-1) and Southern Indiana (1-1).
 
Series Histories
Austin Peay and Murray State both lead their all-time series against Southeast Missouri. APSU is 19-15 and MSU is 26-4 against the Redhawks. SEMO is 2-4 against the Racers and 3-6 vs. the Governors under Head Coach Mary Beth Gunn. Gunn's 2022 team upended APSU to win the program's first Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title.
 
Top of the Lineup
Romana Tarajova, after going 13-2 in singles action during tournament play last fall, split her first two matches in the number one position this season. Tarajova defeated Central Arkansas' Konomi Miyakawa in three sets for her first win of 2023 on Jan. 20. She battled back to win in three sets, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1.
 
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 62-36 in singles play. Her .632 winning percentage ranks ninth-best in program history.
 
Piling Up the Wins
Vivian Lai (55), Ksenia Shikanova (34), Romana Tarajova (62) and Teona Velkoska (51) have over 200 singles victories between them in their careers. They have a combined 202 wins and have teamed up to compile a 202-112 record in singles competition. Lai (1st, 54-19), Shikanova (34-19, 7th), Tarajova (8th, 62-36) and Velkoska (51-38) 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 137 (74 singles/63 doubles), Teona Velkoska has 125 (60 singles/65 doubles) and Vivian Lai has 102 (68 singles/34 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).
 
67 and Counting
With 67 wins, eighth-year Head Coach Mary Beth Gunn has the most victories of any coach in Southeast Missouri women's tennis history. Gunn is 67-66 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.

Next Up
After this weekend's contests, Southeast Missouri will break for 12 days before traveling to North Alabama. That match is set for Feb. 17 in Florence, Alabama.