Murray State University Athletics
Racer Rewind: MSU Wins 2015 OVC Women's Tennis Championship
5/8/2020 8:02:00 PM | Women's Tennis
When looking at the rich history of the Murray State women's tennis program, the 2015 season sits near the top in a collection of successful campaigns. Under first-year head coach Jorge Caetano, the Racers turned in a 17-4 overall record that included a 9-1 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference as they cruised to a share of the regular season conference title. Additionally, Murray State put on a show for fans at home all season long, going a flawless 10-0 while playing on their home courts.
Firing on all cylinders during the heart of the season, the Racers put together an eight-match win streak that culminated with a 4-2 triumph over Eastern Kentucky in the OVC Tournament Championship to earn their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. 2015 marked the second-straight season that the Racers claimed both the OVC regular season and conference tournament titles as Murray State was crowned back-to-back champs.
That OVC Tournament championship match on April 19, 2015 at the Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville, Tennessee began with the Racers dominating the doubles compeition with the teams of Erin Patton / Andrea Eskauriatza (8-4) and Alena Vasileva / Megan Blue (8-0) each earning victories to secure the doubles point on the day.
Moving towards singles, Nancy Karaky (6-1, 6-1) and Vasileva (6-3, 6-1) prevailed at the No. 4 and No. 5 positions respectively before Eskauriatza (6-7, 6-4, 6-4) clinched the match when she defeated EKU's Amandine Faouzi.
"The girls played so tough today. There's no words to describe this. They played amazing and stepped up when they had to - I'm just so proud of them. Andrea played such a huge match there, and this group of girls deserve it. They deserve it more than anyone, and I'm so happy for them," said coach Caetano on that day in 2015.
Beyond the success that the 2015 squad enjoyed on the team level, three individuals also represented the Racers by notching Ohio Valley Conference accolades. Nancy Karaky was named the OVC Freshman of the year after the Douar, Lebanon native went 13-4 in dual singles matches, and 8-5 in dual doubles competition in her first year in a Racer uniform.
Andrea Eskauriatza would be one of two All-OVC selections on the roster as she earned All-OVC First Team recognition after a season that saw her post a 14-2 record in dual singles matches, including an undefeated 7-0 in the OVC, while completing exclusively at the #1 position. The senior out of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico also went 9-4 in a mix of #1 and #2 dual doubles matches.
Finally, Eleonore Tchakarova garnered well-deserved All-OVC Second Team honors as the sophomore from Sofia, Bulgaria secured a 12-5 record in dual singles matches while competing primarily at the #2 position, and an 8-3 overall mark in dual doubles that featured a perfect 6-0 campaign against OVC opponents.
Junior Erin Patton also produced a season for the record books, as the Memphis, Tennessee native went a perfect 18-0 (8-0 OVC) through all regular season singles matches on the year.
Â
Firing on all cylinders during the heart of the season, the Racers put together an eight-match win streak that culminated with a 4-2 triumph over Eastern Kentucky in the OVC Tournament Championship to earn their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. 2015 marked the second-straight season that the Racers claimed both the OVC regular season and conference tournament titles as Murray State was crowned back-to-back champs.
That OVC Tournament championship match on April 19, 2015 at the Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville, Tennessee began with the Racers dominating the doubles compeition with the teams of Erin Patton / Andrea Eskauriatza (8-4) and Alena Vasileva / Megan Blue (8-0) each earning victories to secure the doubles point on the day.
Moving towards singles, Nancy Karaky (6-1, 6-1) and Vasileva (6-3, 6-1) prevailed at the No. 4 and No. 5 positions respectively before Eskauriatza (6-7, 6-4, 6-4) clinched the match when she defeated EKU's Amandine Faouzi.
"The girls played so tough today. There's no words to describe this. They played amazing and stepped up when they had to - I'm just so proud of them. Andrea played such a huge match there, and this group of girls deserve it. They deserve it more than anyone, and I'm so happy for them," said coach Caetano on that day in 2015.
Beyond the success that the 2015 squad enjoyed on the team level, three individuals also represented the Racers by notching Ohio Valley Conference accolades. Nancy Karaky was named the OVC Freshman of the year after the Douar, Lebanon native went 13-4 in dual singles matches, and 8-5 in dual doubles competition in her first year in a Racer uniform.
Andrea Eskauriatza would be one of two All-OVC selections on the roster as she earned All-OVC First Team recognition after a season that saw her post a 14-2 record in dual singles matches, including an undefeated 7-0 in the OVC, while completing exclusively at the #1 position. The senior out of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico also went 9-4 in a mix of #1 and #2 dual doubles matches.
Finally, Eleonore Tchakarova garnered well-deserved All-OVC Second Team honors as the sophomore from Sofia, Bulgaria secured a 12-5 record in dual singles matches while competing primarily at the #2 position, and an 8-3 overall mark in dual doubles that featured a perfect 6-0 campaign against OVC opponents.
Junior Erin Patton also produced a season for the record books, as the Memphis, Tennessee native went a perfect 18-0 (8-0 OVC) through all regular season singles matches on the year.
Â
Players Mentioned
PLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Women's TennisCoach Jody Wright Press Conference - Pre JSU
Wednesday, September 17
Coach Jody Wright | Racer Football Postgame Comments 9/06/2025
Sunday, September 07
Cam Bulluck | Racer Football Postgame Comments 9/06/2025
Sunday, September 07
Conlee Crossno | Racer Football Postgame Comments 9/06/2025
Sunday, September 07
