ROCK HILL, S.C. - On the heels of its first-ever appearance in the conference tourney semifinals, the Anderson University women's tennis team has been predicted to finish fourth in its first season of competition in the South Atlantic Conference by the league's coaches as released by the conference office Friday afternoon.
The Trojans posted a 12-9 overall record last season, while notching an impressive 7-3 mark in its final season in Conference Carolinas.
Julie Halbert, a junior from Cesson Sevigne, France, earned third-team All-Conference Carolinas recognition following last season when she posted a 13-4 singles' record and go 6-10 on the doubles' side. She closed the season by winning seven of her last 10 singles' matches and posted a six-match win streak in mid-season.
"We hope to finish higher than that of course, but there are some good programs that we will have to beat in order to show that our women's program is on the rise," said Anderson head coach Joey Eskridge.
Anderson begins the 2011 campaign with a conference match at Newberry on Feb. 12.
Lincoln Memorial University, the defending 2010 Food Lion Tournament champion, is the favorite to win the 2011 South Atlantic Conference women's tennis championship.
Lincoln Memorial received seven first place votes and 96 total points. The Railsplitters went 18-4 last year, including a 7-1 record in SAC play and advanced to the NCAA tournament. Lincoln Memorial placed two players on the preseason first team All-Conference, Sofia Lopez Mimendi and Leah Donoff, the 2010 Freshman and Player of the Year.
Tusculum College, which shared the 2010 regular-season championship with Lincoln Memorial, is second in the voting with 78 total points. The Pioneers placed five on the preseason All-Conference team. Courtney Conley made the first team, while Megan Buckmaster, Katelyn Doss, Taylor Patterson, and Blake Thompson all made the second team.
Wingate University received one first-place vote and 76 total points to finish third. Wingate returns two preseason All-Conference selections in Kara Stasikelis, who made the first team, and Samantha Alschlager, who made the second, from a squad that finished 2010 with a 6-2 conference record.
Brevard College received 63 points for fifth place. The Tornados
placed three players on the preseason All-Conference team. Lindsay
Hostetter and Lindsay Shaeffer both made the first team, while
Claire Dillman was a second team pick.
Carson-Newman College received 50 total points for sixth place.
Taryn Cappadona was named to the preseason All-Conference first
team.
Mars Hill College received one first-place vote and 46 total points for seventh place. The Lions are led by preseason first team All-Conference selection Erika Pinate.
Catawba College finished the voting in eighth after receiving 33 total points. Kasia Zielinski is a second team preseason All-Conference pick.
Lenoir-Rhyne University received 21 points for ninth place.
Newberry College rounds out the poll with 12 points.
The top six teams in the conference standings at the end of the season advance to the 2011 Food Lion SAC Tournament. The tournament will be at the Rock Hill Tennis Center in Rock Hill, S.C. Quarterfinals will be Wednesday, April 20, with the semifinals on Thursday, April 21. The championship match will be Friday, April 22.
2011 SAC WOMEN'S TENNIS COACHES POLL
Poll 1st Points
1. Lincoln Memorial 7 96
2. Tusculum 78
3. Wingate 1 76
4. Anderson 1 75
5. Brevard 63
6. Carson-Newman 50
7. Mars Hill 1 46
8. Catawba 33
9. Lenoir-Rhyne 21
10. Newberry 12
2011 SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Lindsay Hostetter, Brevard
Lindsay Shaeffer, Brevard
Taryn Cappadona, Carson-Newman
Leah Donoff, Lincoln Memorial
Sofia Lopez Mimendi, Lincoln Memorial
Erika Pinate, Mars Hill
Courtney Conley, Tusculum
Kara Stasikelis, Wingate
SECOND TEAM
Julie Halbert, Anderson
Claire Dillman, Brevard
Kasia Zielinski, Catawba
Megan Buckmaster, Tusculum
Katelyn Doss, Tusculum
Taylor Patterson, Tusculum
Blake Thompson, Tusculum
Samantha Alschlager, Wingate
