Women's tennis team 1-18 overall this season

The Southeast Missouri State tennis team is in the middle of it's season and is having one of the toughest seasons in recent memory.

The team currently sits at 1-18, with the only win for the Redhawks coming in Ohio Valley Conference play against Austin Peay, a team that seems to be having just as hard of a time this year on the court as Southeast.

The 4-3 win came back on March 14 and since then, Southeast has lost seven straight.

This team is young with the majority of the roster consisting of freshman and sophomores. "Yeah, there is a lot of potential with them," senior, Melissa Martin said.

Five out of the eight student-athletes on Southeast's roster are freshman, and while the potential may be there for the future, the transition for high school to college tennis can be tough.

"The first year of collegiate tennis can be an adjustment for most student athletes," Southeast coach Leah Killen said.

Every team's goal is to win, but this year has been one of leaning and transition to better them for the years to come.

"When they came in I don't think they had a very good idea of what to expect, but now after a year they are going to have a lot more understanding of it," Martin said.

If the team can do the little things more often coach thinks they can be more successful.

"As a team we have to learn how to finish points, be aggressive when we are leading during games, and continue to control and finish the match when we are ahead in sets," Killen said.

In a prepared statement, Killen wrote that the team has learned a lot this year and that she is hopeful that it can regroup with a handful of games still remaining on the schedule as well as prepare for next year.

While Southeast has had a tough time getting in the win column, the team can still qualify for one of the six seeds in the OVC Tournament, which begins in a couple weeks.

The Redhawks currently sit at 1-6 in conference play and have three games remaining in the regular season, all against OVC opponents, where they can make up ground.

Southeast currently sits in the eighth spot, behind Jacksonville State (6-12, 3-5) and UT Martin (6-9, 3-5). The Redhawks will host UT Martin at the Redhawks tennis complex on Tuesday.

"Everyone has to stay positive knowing they can do it, being determined," Martin said.