Match 5
vs Murray State (0-1)
Date: Thursday, January 30th, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m., CT
Location: Paducah, KY
Series: MSU leads 27-5
Live Stats: SEMORedhawks.com
Match 6
vs Louisiana Tech (3-2)
Date: Friday, January 31st, 2025
Time: 2:00 p.m., CT
Location: Paducah, KY
Series: SEMO leads 2-1
Live Stats: SEMORedhawks.com
Match 7
vs Austin Peay (0-0)
Date: Saturday, February 1st, 2025
Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Location: Paducah, KY
Series: APSU leads 20-15
Redhawks Trek to Paducah Kentucky This Week
Southeast Missouri Tennis will be traveling to the Hilliard Lyons Indoor Tennis Center in Paducah, Kentucky to face two former OVC Schools and a Conference USA opponent. On Thursday the Redhawks will verse Murray State on Thursday at 10 a.m. CT., Louisiana Tech on Friday at 2 p.m. CT., and Austin Peay on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.
About Murray State
Murray State come into this meeting with SEMO with an 0-1 record coming off a loss to the Kentucky Wildcats. The Racers were ranked first in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll this year after winning the MVC championship in 2024. Doubles pair Varya Alexeyeva and Paola Campigotto were named MVC doubles team of the week for this past week. The pair are ranked 101st in the nation and are 8-1 since the start of the fall.
About Louisiana Tech
The Bulldogs come into this matchup with two wins in a row and a total record of 3-2. Last season, Louisiana Tech finished with a 15-9 record, losing in the conference championship semifinals to FIU. The team is led by sophomore Zoie Epps, who was named the Conference USA women's tennis athlete of the week earlier this month as well as being named to the second team all-conference and the all-freshman team last year.
About Austin Peay
The Governors will play their first match of the season in Paducah as they face Louisiana Tech on Thursday, June 30th. Last year the Governors went 12-9, going 7-3 in conference play in the Atlantic Sun Conference. APSU made it to the second round of the conference championship where they lost to Stetson. Austin Peay ranked fifth in the ASUN preseason poll.
Series History
This will be the 33rd meeting between the Redhawks and the Racers. Murray State leads the series 27-5. The previous meeting came in January of 2024 at a neutral site that ended in a 7-0 win for Murray State. SEMO last beat Murray State in 2023 in a 4-3 win. Over the past four meetings the series is tied at 2-2.
It will be just the fourth meeting between the Redhawks and the Bulldogs. Coming into this matchup the Redhawks hold a 2-1 lead over Louisiana Tech. The teams have not met since 2019, where the Redhawks came out 4-2 winners.
Coming into this matchup the Governors lead the series 20-15 over the Redhawks. Over the last 5 matchups the Redhawks have won twice and the Governors three times. The Redhawks last win came at the end of the 2022 season when they beat the Governor's 4-1.
Former OVC Schools
The Redhawks have had tight matches with former OVC s University since Belmont, Murray State, and Austin Peay left the Ohio Valley conference at the end of the 2022 season. SEMO's record is 2-3 against the former schools since they left. The Redhawks are tied at 1-1 against both the Racers and the Bruins. Austin Peay has a slight edge beating SEMO the one time they have played over the past two seasons.
Weekend Two Recap
Southeast Missouri Tennis fell to 0-4 this past weekend dropping two close matches to Western Kentucky on Friday and Central Arkansas on Sunday. The Redhawks lost 5-2 against the Hilltoppers and lost 4-3 against the Bears.
Against Western Kentucky, sophomores Maja Bajorek and Juliette Demunck were the two Redhawks to pick up singles victories. Bajorek won in straight sets at the No. 3 position defeating Miranda 6-4, 7-6. Demunck won in a three set thriller against Damera, losing set one 7-5, then fighting back in sets two and three winning 6-1, 10-8 on court 4.
Vs Central Arkansas, Bajorek and Demucnk won their singles matches again. Demunck captured SEMO's first point of the day beating Miyakawa 6-3, 7-6 at the No. 3 position. The Redhawks would go on to win the next two points on court four and court five. Bajorek took down Shigemasu in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3 on court four. Then Kozakova joined Bajorek and Demunck and defeated Chen at the No. 5 6-1, 4-6, 10-7.
A New Era Begins
Steve Brooks will be taking over the reigns as the new Head Coach for the SEMO tennis program. Coach Brooks was hired back in August of 2024 and this will be his first spring season as the Head Coach of the Redhawks. Coach Brooks becomes the 10th head coach in program history and comes to SEMO with more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 15 at the NCAA Division I level.
Fall Recap
The Redhawks enjoyed a successful fall season. SEMO competed in four tournaments over the fall, the OVC Fall tournament, Tennessee Fall Intercollegiate Tournament, the ITA Regional, and the UCA Fall Invitational. In singles action the Redhawks posted a 30-22 overall record with Juliette Demunck (9-2) and Mia Mayerová (8-3) leading the way for SEMO. In doubles play, SEMO went 12-8 with the partnership of Maja Bajorek and Mayerová earning the most wins with six.
Redhawks Picked second in 2025 OVC Preseason Poll
The Redhawks were picked second in this year's preseason poll with 28 points trailing only SIUE who was picked first with 36 total points and six of the seven first place votes. Western Illinois after finishing in last place a season ago was picked third with the other first place vote and 26 total points. Southern Indiana (22), Lindenwood (15), Eastern Illinois (12), and Tennessee State (10) completed the poll.
The University of Bryant will be joining the OVC tennis schools but will not play a regular season conference schedule. The Bulldogs will be competing at the OVC conference tournament as part of the eight team field.
Valeeva, the graduate, was SEMO's singles player to watch for the spring. Valeeva joins Kozakova, a grad transfer from Blue Mountain Christian as the doubles players to watch this spring.
