SEVEN SKYHAWK TENNIS PLAYERS COMPETE IN MULTI-TEAM CLARKSVILLE TOURNAMENT

Friday, September 17

Clarksville, Tenn.

UT Martin

Austin Peay Fall Tournament

Photo by: UT Martin Sports Information

SEVEN SKYHAWK TENNIS PLAYERS COMPETE IN MULTI-TEAM CLARKSVILLE TOURNAMENT

9/19/2021 9:22:00 AM | Tennis

Results

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Although the full 48-hour event wasn't able to see its completion due to an abundance of rain on the first day, the University of Tennessee at Martin tennis squad was still able to participate across seven different singles matches during the Austin Peay Fall Tournament nearly two hours away from campus on Saturday afternoon.

Head Coach Caitlyn Williams' Skyhawks – who competed against various singles performers from Ohio Valley Conference mates Southeast Missouri, Belmont, and the hosting Governors – ultimately ended the short-lived tournament with a 1-6 overall record, as super senior Sina Albersmeier landed a three-set victory over the Bruins' Peyton Lee in the Quarterfinal round.

Collecting her 15^th singles victory as a member of the UTM roster in her third season with the program, Albersmeier battled back from an opening-set defeat by a 6-3 cushion to earn the improbable 2-1 win by the same score in the follow-up rally before running away with a 10-3 triumph in the final set against Belmont's Lee.

Unfortunately for the Skyhawks' quarterfinal ventures, the remaining six UT Martin contributors fell in the opening round all in 2-0 fashion. As a matter of fact, Albersmeier's solo comeback registered as only the third of the 14 matches to enter a third set. Jule Streif and Amelia Campbell served as the first two Skyhawks to hit the court on Saturday, falling to SEMO's Romana Tarajova (6-2 & 6-4) and Austin Peay's Jana Leder (6-2 & 6-3) respectively.

Junior Englishwoman Aziza Aubin was due up next for UTM in a pair of 6-2 and 6-3 setbacks to Martina Paladini-Jennings representing AP. Following the marathon win for Albersmeier, Ariadna Ondo stood as the fifth Skyhawk to play, taking consecutive 6-1 losses to Teona Velkoska of Southeast Missouri.

Mizuki Sakurai and Jillian Niedzialowski closed the four-team scurry for UT Martin with a pair of losing efforts each to the Redhawks - Myroslava Zelenchuk (6-2 twice) and Lera Valeeva (6-0 & 6-3) – respectively. All OVC teams were scheduled to have these singles bouts 24 hours earlier before precipitation provided a roadblock. Whereas doubles play was supposed to begin on Saturday instead of the makeup rounds, the Austin Peay Fall Tournament was subsequently cancelled at the end of the 14 singles series.

Southeast Missouri totaled the most individual victories with six on the neutral courts, followed closely behind by the Governors' five. Belmont captured a pair of W's in seven tries to finish slightly ahead of the Skyhawks in the abbreviated fall event.

Having now competed in consecutive weekends to open the door of the 2021-22 schedule, UT Martin travels to North Alabama next Friday and Saturday for another multi-team format in Florence.