Murray State University Athletics
Photo by: Dan Hasko - Murray State Athletics
Racers Picked Second in OVC Preseason Poll, Two Earn Top 10 Individual Honors
1/28/2021 9:30:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Stasya Sharapova, Sara Loncarevic Earn Top-10 rankings
Murray State women's tennis has been picked to finish second in this year's OVC preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
The Racers did receive a first-place vote, and were second only to Austin Peay - the reigning OVC champions from the 2019 season. The Racers went 8-5 overall in an abbreviated 2020 season that saw them jump out to a 7-1 start – their best opening since the 1999 season. Murray State needs to replace two players from last year's rotation in Sara Bjork and three-time All-OVC selection Claire Chang, but the Racers will feature plenty of experience with the remainder of the squad returning from a year ago.
In addition to the preseason team ranking, the Racers also see two players earn preseason top 10 individual rankings in Stasya Sharapova (#3) and Sara Loncarevic (#8) for the 2021 campaign.
For Sharapova, the senior from Astana, Kazakhstan, currently has 41 career singles wins at the top three positions to go along with another 39 career doubles victories. The 2018 All-OVC selection makes an appearance inside the OVC's preseason top-10 rankings for the third-straight season.
As for Loncarevic, the redshirt senior is back for a fifth year of competition due to the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, and currently has notched 56 career singles victories – the most of any current player on the Racer roster. She also has 40 career wins in doubles competition.
2021 OVC Women's Tennis Predicted Order of Finish
(as voted on by the league's head coaches)
Â
School                                                            Points
1. Austin Peay (8 first-place votes)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 64
2. Murray State (1 first-place vote)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 52
3. Southeast Missouri                     46
4. Jacksonville State                      43
5. Belmont                              40
6. SIUEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30
t7. Eastern Illinois                        20
t7. UT Martin                            20
9. Tennessee State                        9
Â
2021 OVC Women's Top Ten Player Rankings
(as voted on by the league's head coaches)
Â
1. Fabiene Schmidt, Austin Peay
2. Rachel Papavasilopaulos, Eastern Illinois
3. Stasya Sharapova, Murray State
4. Jill Lambrechts, SIuE
5. Danielle Morris, Austin Peay
6. Harriet Hamilton, Jacksonville State
7. Jana Leder, Austin Peay
8. Sara Loncarevic, Murray State
9. Vanessa Remicke, SIUE
10. Romana Tarajova, Southeast Missouri
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The Racers did receive a first-place vote, and were second only to Austin Peay - the reigning OVC champions from the 2019 season. The Racers went 8-5 overall in an abbreviated 2020 season that saw them jump out to a 7-1 start – their best opening since the 1999 season. Murray State needs to replace two players from last year's rotation in Sara Bjork and three-time All-OVC selection Claire Chang, but the Racers will feature plenty of experience with the remainder of the squad returning from a year ago.
In addition to the preseason team ranking, the Racers also see two players earn preseason top 10 individual rankings in Stasya Sharapova (#3) and Sara Loncarevic (#8) for the 2021 campaign.
For Sharapova, the senior from Astana, Kazakhstan, currently has 41 career singles wins at the top three positions to go along with another 39 career doubles victories. The 2018 All-OVC selection makes an appearance inside the OVC's preseason top-10 rankings for the third-straight season.
As for Loncarevic, the redshirt senior is back for a fifth year of competition due to the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, and currently has notched 56 career singles victories – the most of any current player on the Racer roster. She also has 40 career wins in doubles competition.
2021 OVC Women's Tennis Predicted Order of Finish
(as voted on by the league's head coaches)
Â
School                                                            Points
1. Austin Peay (8 first-place votes)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 64
2. Murray State (1 first-place vote)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 52
3. Southeast Missouri                     46
4. Jacksonville State                      43
5. Belmont                              40
6. SIUEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30
t7. Eastern Illinois                        20
t7. UT Martin                            20
9. Tennessee State                        9
Â
2021 OVC Women's Top Ten Player Rankings
(as voted on by the league's head coaches)
Â
1. Fabiene Schmidt, Austin Peay
2. Rachel Papavasilopaulos, Eastern Illinois
3. Stasya Sharapova, Murray State
4. Jill Lambrechts, SIuE
5. Danielle Morris, Austin Peay
6. Harriet Hamilton, Jacksonville State
7. Jana Leder, Austin Peay
8. Sara Loncarevic, Murray State
9. Vanessa Remicke, SIUE
10. Romana Tarajova, Southeast Missouri
Â
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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