January 21, 2016

The South Atlantic Conference Announces 2016 Women's Tennis Preseason Poll & All-Conference

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate has been chosen first in the South Atlantic Conference’s women’s tennis annual preseason poll, as voted by the League’s head coaches, it was announced today by the League office.

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate has been chosen first in the South Atlantic Conference's women's tennis annual preseason poll, as voted by the League's head coaches, it was announced today by the League office. The Bulldogs picked up nine first-place votes from the panel and 131 points.

Queens came in at No. 2 with a pair of first-place votes and 128 points, while Tusculum notched one top bid and 117 points. Anderson earned the No. 4 spot with 99 points and at the No. 5 position was Newberry with 94 points. Coker came in at No. 6 with 68 points. Lincoln Memorial and Carson-Newman tied for the No. 7 position with 64 points and Lenoir-Rhyne's 59 points was good for the ninth slot. Catawba placed No. 10 with 44 points, ahead of Mars Hill, who notched 43 points. Brevard rounded out the poll at No. 12 with 17 points.

Caroltta Nassi of Queens, the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Player and Freshman of the Year, headlines the list of first-team preseason All-South Atlantic Conference honorees. Tusculum placed a pair of student-athletes on the list in Kealee Heffner and Erin Mills. Anderson's Rebecca Bruning, Elena Vasilyeva from Lincoln Memorial and Bailey Palmer of Coker rounded out the list of first-team preseason honorees.

Nassi and Melissa Laing of Queens earned first-team All-SAC doubles and joining the duo on the list were Franziska Funke and Amanda Sumner from Tusculum and Bruning and Ivey Welborn of Anderson.

The 2016 South Atlantic Conference Women's Tennis season gets underway on Feb. 2. The 2015 SAC Women's Tennis Championship is slated for April 21-23 on the campus of Brevard College.

Rk Team (first-place votes) Points

1. Wingate (9) 131

2. Queens (2) 128

3. Tusculum (1) 117

4. Anderson 99

5. Newberry 94

6. Coker 68

7. Lincoln Memorial 64

Carson-Newman 64

9. Lenoir-Rhyne 59

10. Catawba 44

11. Mars Hill 43