» By TRENT SINGER – [email protected]
The OVC tennis preseason polls were released Friday, and two APSU players were ranked No. 1 in men’s and women’s tennis.
Sophomore Jasmin Ademovic was ranked No. 1 in men’s tennis, while Senior Vanja Tomic was ranked No. 1 in women’s tennis. Junior Sean Bailey was also ranked No. 3 in men’s tennis.
Last year, the men’s team finished second in the regular season and advanced to the OVC Championship match for the first time in more than 20 years.
Ademovic is the first Govs tennis player to be named Freshman of the Year. He earned the honor by going 5-1 in league play at the top two singles spots, and ended with a 16-10 overall mark. In doubles play, Ademovic went 14-7 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
Although the team has four freshmen who are still young, there are high hopes for this year’s tennis team.
Ademovic spoke to The Leaf Chronicle about his own aspirations as well.
“This season my goal is to be the Player of the Year for the OVC and again to be first-team all-OVC,” Ademovic said.
“I think if I get these two goals I’m going to be the best athlete at APSU, which will be a great thing.”
Along with two-time All-OVC pick Sean Bailey, the Govs hope to advance to their second consecutive OVC Championship.
The Lady Govs are led by Tomic, who is a two-time first-team All-OVC pick and was the 2010 OVC Player of the Year.
Despite losing in last year’s conference championships, the team returns with sophomore Andra Cornea and five new freshmen that have a lot to prove.
Tomic saw her numbers decrease in 2011, but still had a dominant season, finishing 16-5 overall and 7-1 in the OVC.
The men’s team played its first game in Louisville on Thursday, Jan. 19, where both Bailey and Ademovic fell to the Cardinals, 7-0.
The team’s first home game was last week against Belmont on Wednesday, Jan. 25, where both players won in singles and doubles competition, as the team went on to win, 5-2.
Meanwhile, the women’s team has started the 2012 season off slow, losing their first six matches, four on the road.
This weekend features both teams at home, as the men’s team takes on Western Kentucky on Friday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. and the women’s team takes on Southern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 11, at noon. TAS