SEASON PREVIEW
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI REDHAWKS TENNIS
T
he Southeast Missouri women’s tennis team was poised to continue its upward trajectory in 2020 before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, SEMO returns a majority of that squad and has retooled in its pursuit of a championship run at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. “We are hoping to have the opportunity to compete,” head coach Mary Beth Gunn said of the upcoming campaign. “We realize that it is a privilege to get to step on the court with our Redhawk gear, and we want to represent SEMO with pride. We have a team with a lot of playing experience and we are hungry to get back out on the courts and compete.” That playing experience includes eight returners keyed by All-OVC players Kseniya Zonova and Romana Tarajova, the 2019 OVC Freshman of the Year. Maja Lundell, Manuela Barriga, Grace Powderly and Teona Velkoska join Zonova and Tarajova as returning members from the 2019 team that finished as semifinalists at the OVC Championship. Sophomores Vivian Lai and Lera Valeeva round out the returnees while the team also includes newcomers in freshman Daniela Hláciková and sophomore Nevada transfer Ksenia Shikanova.
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“We have great team chemistry this year, and we have some strong leaders on the team who are helping get everyone ready for the spring season,” Gunn said. “We are fortunate that we have a majority of our players on roster who had the experience of playing in the OVC semifinals match in 2019. The juniors and seniors have done a great job helping the underclassmen understand the foundations of SEMO Tennis with how we operate and maintaining a healthy team culture. Daniela [Hláciková], our new freshman, has fit into the team well and has demonstrated her high playing level and academic skill.” The 2021 Redhawks have high expectations on and off the court after ousting Belmont in 2019 for the team’s first OVC Championship match victory in 16 years. “Every year we go into the season with the goal of winning the OVC Championship,” Gunn said. “We also have high academic goals as well. We also want to continue to serve our community with community service projects. I think that we are strong in all three areas: athletics, academics, and community service. We want to continue to make these three areas a priority with our program.”
SEASON OUTLOOK In the small sample size that was the 2020 season, SEMO fashioned a 4-6 nonconference dual mark with victories over Saint Louis, Lipscomb, Missouri State and Kansas City. Lai was named the OVC Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week prior to the cancellation. Alongside Lai, Valeeva also earned dual match experience. “Both Vivi [Vivian Lai] and Lera [Valeeva] were able to get in some competition in the Spring 2020 season, and this has helped them know what to be prepared for this upcoming season,” Gunn said of her returning sophomores. “They haven’t played a conference match yet, but they have felt match pressure and match atmosphere from our non-conference matches last year.”
2021 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI TENNIS
PLAYERS Zonova returns to SEMO for her senior season (fifth year). The 2018 All-OVC performer posted a 3-5 dual singles record in 2020, playing at the top two positions. In doubles, she teamed up Tarajova at the top slot (4-5 in 2020). In 2019, Zonova led the Redhawks in singles (14-7, 6-2 OVC) in 2019 and played doubles (10-6, 4-2 OVC) at the second position. “Kseniya has been a key component to our success over the past years,” Gunn said of Zonova. “We are fortunate to have her expertise and energy back on court this season. She shows great leadership on the court. She has seen great success on the court every year that she has played here, and I think she will continue this trend for this season. She has a lot of playing experience at the top level and knows how to handle a variety of match situations.” Lundell is the other senior on the 2021 team and has proven to be a strong leader for SEMO on and off the court. “Maja does a great job of sensing what is going on during matches,” Gunn said of Lundell. “She is one of the smartest students on campus, and she uses her intellect on the court. You can see this when she plays, and she also does a great job helping her teammates during their matches as well.”
