Nick Kendall
Staff Writer
nkendall1@murraystate.edu
The Murray State women’s tennis team has been voted to finish second this year in the OVC after finishing last season 12-9.
Last season, with a 6-2 OVC record that earned them the three-seed in the tournament. Murray State was upset in the first round by the UT Martin Skyhawks 4-3.
Looking to avoid another upset, Head Coach Jorge Caetano has been making the proper adjustments.
“I think the biggest adjustment we are making this year is learning how to handle the pressure and uncomfortable moments better,” Caetano said. “We have been working a lot on that and hopefully it will show throughout the season.”
Senior Claire Chang and junior Stasya Sharapova received spots on this year’s OVC Preseason Top 10 Players list.
Chang, the Kaohsiung, Taiwan, native, finished last season 5-3 in singles play and earned All-OVC Second Team honors, solidifying her No. 3 spot on the Top 10 players list.
Sharapova, the Astana, Kazakhstan, native, also finished 5-3 in singles play last season and grabbed the No. 9 spot.
Caetano applauds the two for their efforts and believes everyone can make a strong presence come game time.
“All returners have been working extremely hard,” Caetano said. “I can tell they are very hungry and can’t wait to compete this season.”
Freshmen Natalie Slezakova, Marit Kreugel and Samantha Muller will add some more depth to the team.
Kreugel, from Vleuten, Netherlands, reached as high as seventh in the tennis National Junior Rankings. Slezakova, a Zlin, Czech Republic, native, held the fifth ranking in the same junior rankings of her home country. Muller, from Johannesburg, South Africa held the seventh spot in the National Senior Rankings.
Caetano is ready to see the freshmen keep their level of performance high now that they’re on the college scene.
“They have shown that they love to compete,” Caetano said. “Dual-match season is completely different, but I have total trust in them and believe they are going to win a lot of matches for us.”
The trio, along with the rest of the squad, won their first two matches of the season on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Murray State swept IUPUI 7-0 in game one and defeated Bradley University 5-2.