Southeast Missouri (0-2) at Western Kentucky (1-2)

Date: Friday, February 2, 2024
Time: 6 p.m., CT
Location: Bowling Green, Ky.
Series: WKU leads, 4-2

Redhawks Hit the Road to Face Western Kentucky
Southeast Missouri (0-2) travels to Conference USA member Western Kentucky (1-2) for an evening matchup Friday. Start time is set for 6 p.m., CT.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Western Kentucky meet for the first time in 10 years. This year marks the first time SEMO faces WKU under Head Coach Mary Beth Gunn. The Hilltoppers hold a 4-2 advantage in the series. These teams last faced each other on Feb. 9, 2014 at a neutral site location. The Redhawks won that match by a score of 5-2.

Calinescu and Valeeva Get First Wins
Trinity Calinescu and Lera Valeeva became the first Redhawks to earn dual singles victories this 2024 season. Both of those wins came against former Ohio Valley Conference member Belmont on Jan. 26. Calinescu beat Anastasiya Zholdakova, 6-1, 6-2, at the No. 2 spot and Valeeva defeated Hana Sokolovic, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, in the No. 6 position. It was Valeeva's eighth career win at the No. 6 spot in the lineup.

Back to the Bluegrass State
Southeast Missouri competes in Kentucky for the second-straight weekend. SEMO opened its spring campaign with two matches in Paducah on Jan. 26-27. After visiting Western Kentucky this weekend, the Redhawks will head to the Bluegrass State one more time to take on Lindsey Wilson College when they go back to Paducah Feb. 6.

Away for Awhile
The Redhawks first nine matches of the 2024 season will be played outside of Cape Girardeau. Southeast Missouri opened the year with a pair of matches in Paducah, Kentucky. After Friday's match at Western Kentucky, SEMO faces Lindsey Wilson (Feb. 6), heads to Middle Tennessee (Feb. 9) and makes trips to Conway, Arkansas (Central Arkansas/North Texas, Feb. 17-18) and Springfield, Missouri (UL Monroe/Missouri State, Feb. 24-25). SEMO then hosts Bradley in its home-opener on Mar. 2.

Opening Weekend Recap
Southeast Missouri dropped its first two matches of the 2024 season against former Ohio Valley Conference opponents. SEMO fell to Belmont, 5-2, on Jan. 26 and Murray State, 7-0, on Jan. 27. Both of those matches were contested in Paducah, Kentucky. Trinity Calinescu and Lera Valeeva each picked up singles wins, while Daniela Hlacikova and Juliette Talieu recorded SEMO's first doubles victory of the spring.

About Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky enters the weekend with a 1-2 record this young spring season. WKU beat Northern Kentucky, 7-0, for its first win of the season on Jan. 26. The Hilltoppers lost close, 4-3, matches to Eastern Kentucky and Western Carolina. Sofia Blanco leads WKU with a 3-0 singles record, while Paola Cortez, Anna-Marie Kopecka and Marianda Zegada follow close behind with two wins each. Kopecka and Cortez also hold a 2-0 record at the top of the doubles lineup for the Hilltoppers.

Redhawks Picked to Win OVC in 2024
The Redhawks are the Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite entering the 2024 campaign. Southeast Missouri received 35 points and five first-place votes in the overall voting. SIU Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee State, first-year OVC member Western Illinois, Lindenwood and Southern Indiana completed the poll. Daniela Hlacikova (No. 1), Vivian Lai (No. 4), Trinity Calinescu (No. 7) and Juliette Talieu (No. 9) are ranked among the league's top 10 players ahead of the spring.