Season Outlook

SEASON PREVIEW

SEASON OUTLOOK

The 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.

“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.”

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.” 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.”

SEASON OUTLOOK

SEASON PREVIEW

Tarajova, the 2019 OVC Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-OVC performer, leads a four-member junior class. Last season, she notched a 3-5 dual singles record, playing at the top two positions. In doubles, she teamed up with Zonova at the top slot (4-5 in 2020). As a freshman, Tarajova was second on the team with a 13-5 singles record (5-3 OVC) at no. 1 singles.

“Romana has proved that she is one of the top players in the conference, and I see her remaining in this position for this season,” Gunn said of Tarajova. “She has added some elements to her game that has made her a more well-rounded player. She has a lot of options on the court which makes her able to beat a variety of players.”

Barriga has proven to be a strong doubles player in her two seasons as a Redhawk. As a freshman, she compiled a 9-5 doubles dual mark (4-1 OVC) playing at the third position with Tarajova. In singles, Barriga was perfect in the OVC (3-0), totaling a 5-3 record at the sixth position. Last season, she solidified the singles lineup at no. 6 (3-2 record) and played doubles with Valeeva, Lai and Velkoska.

“Manuela is a very fit player; no one will outlast her on the court,” Gunn said of Barriga. “I know that if she can take her opponent to a third set, she can take the match with her fitness level. We had the opportunity to really work with her individually this fall on her game to make her a stronger player, and she has seen some improvements to her game.”

Velkoska is another tough, solid doubles player who really gelled with Lai last season. With Lai, she registered a 10-8 record in the fall and then a 1-4 mark at the middle spot during the 2020 dual season. In 2019, Velkoska, posted a 13-8 doubles mark at no. 2 and finished the season with an 11-8 (6-2 OVC) singles mark at the fourth and fifth slots.

“Teona is a great tennis player,” Gunn said of Velkoska. “I love watching her play and seeing which plays she chooses to run against her opponents. She does very well at reading pattern plays and executing ones that get her more points. She has been a big help for us in the doubles lineup; she is an aggressive player who reads the ball well on when to poach.”

Powderly, a Cape Girardeau, Missouri native, rounds out the junior class. She was awarded the 2019-2020 SEMO Civic & Global Engagement Award.

“Grace has been a great leader on our team, and really contributes to the positive culture our team has,” Gunn said of Powderly. “She brings energy to every practice and every match. She has grown her serve, and she is getting good speed and placement on it. She has also been working hard on her physical fitness and strength which has made her a stronger player on the court.”

Of the sophomore class, Lai has the most collegiate experience. As a freshman, she led the Redhawks in 2020 in singles (5-2, third and fourth) and earned OVC Player of the Week honors.

“Vivi is ready to be back out on court for the spring season,” Gunn said of Lai. “She loves to play and compete. She is quick on the court and knows how to frustrate her opponents. Every time she steps onto the court, no matter who the opponent is, she competes hard and until the end.”

Valeeva joined the SEMO team prior to the 2020 season and was thrown into the competitive fire immediately.

“Lera came in January last year and had to compete with limited practice with us,” Gunn said of Valeeva. “Having this fall time to practice, she has shown a lot of growth in her game. She has a big lefty serve and forehand which is difficult to defend against when she gets set up. I think she will be more comfortable this spring during competition since she knows how matches look like and she had a full fall practice schedule to prepare.”

Shikanova is the third and final sophomore and comes to SEMO after transferring from Nevada. As a member of the Wolf Pack, she played at the top two singles positions, tallying a 4-4 mark. Shikanova, a Nizhny Novgorod, Russia native, also posted a 4-2 doubles dual mark this past spring.

“Ksenia is a very strong tennis player,” Gunn said of Shikanova. “Her playing experience at Nevada will be an asset to her on the court for this season. She is someone who loves tennis and loves to compete. She will be a top player in the conference.”

Hláciková who hails from Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, is the lone freshman and final newcomer on the 2021 team. She joins fellow countrywoman Tarajova on the squad.

“Daniela is a very talented player,” Gunn said of Hláciková. “She has fit right in with our program, and we are glad to have her be a part of our program. I have been impressed with how she practiced this fall and how she competed at intrasquad matches. She is a tough player on the court, and I think she will see a lot of success on court this season.