On Tuesday, the Furman women’s tennis team took home
important Southern Conference hardware – Player, Freshman and Coach of the Year
honors.
But what the Paladins dearly want is to put their
collective hands on the team championship trophy Saturday afternoon at the
Champions Club courts.
The Paladins’ Debbie Southern is coach of the year
and Ansley Speaks captured freshman and player of the year honors.
Furman has the No.1 seed, a 9-0 SoCon record, and is
the solid favorite to win, but seeds 2-4
Samford, Chattanooga and Elon hope to have a voice, maybe a loud voice,
in who wins on Saturday.
If
You Are Going
SoCon Tennis Tournament:
Place: Champions Club in Rivermont
Wed-Sat.
Admission: Free
Go to SoCon.com for men’s and women’s brackets and
results
Wednesday Schedule
Men’s
Matches – both at 11 a.m.
(new time from original schedule)
No.8 Davidson vs. No.9 UTC … No 7 Wofford vs. No.10
The Citadel
Women’s
Matches - both at 3 p.m. (new time)
No. 8 Davidson vs. No.9 Wofford
No.7 App State vs. No.10 Western Carolina
Thursday – Quarters … Friday – Semis … Saturday -
Finals
Preview
of Top Four Women’s Seeds
No.1
Seed - Furman (16-5, 9-0) - beat No.2 Samford, No.3
Chattanooga and No.4 Elon, all 4-3
Led by Ansley Speaks – 2014 Freshman of the Year,
2014 Player of the Year …
Coach – Debbie Southern (30th season - 451 wins) ITA
Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame
Team: Speaks (15-5 in singles) is one of three
starting freshmen and is joined by doubles players Katherine
Oudin/Alex Moreno-Kaste on the SoCon first team … Speaks, Karlee Bryde and Blair
Martin made the SoCon All-Freshman Team … Katherine Oudin is younger sister of
Melanie Oudin who reached the U.S. Open quarters in 2009 and was U.S. Open
mixed doubles champ ... the Oudin’s are relatives of the late Frank Willett who
was a standout tennis player at Ga. Tech in the 1940s, moved to Chattanooga in
late 1950s and was a top adult player throughout the South …
SoCon Titles – 16 … last won it in 2008
…
No.2
Seed - Samford (18-2, 8-1) … comes in with 7 match win streak
and 16 of last 17 … loss was at Furman … only other loss was to Auburn … beat
UTC (4-3) and Elon (5-2)
Top Players - Stephanie N’tcha is first team
All-SoCon singles and doubles (w/Kristen Lewis)
No.6 singles Lauren Caballero (12-4 in singles this
spring) led Ravenwood (Tenn.) to a pair of D-I AAA state titles and she won two
doubles state crowns
SoCon Titles - None
No.3
Seed - Chattanooga (17-4, 7-2) … 10-0 at home this
season … and 13 straight over two years … last loss at home was to Furman
(4-3), March 24, 2013 … 29-3 at home last three years … has first team
All-SoCon players in Kayla Jones (singles) and Kaylene Chadwell/Alexa Flynn
(doubles) … senior Flynn has 74 career
singles wins and 73 in doubles … Chadwell (Tenn.) and Kelsey Coots (Ala.) were
prep state champions … Mocs beat Elon, 4-3, and lost to Samford and Furman,
4-3, both matches on the road.
Coach – Jeff Clark (10th year; 130-93) took team to SoCon semis in 2012 …
SoCon Titles – 5 (1984-85-86-88-90) … UTC won the
inaugural SoCon title 30 years ago in 1984 … and claimed 5 of the first 7 …
last title came in 1990
No.4
Seed – Elon (12-8, 6-3) … 8-1 at home … lost 4-3 to Furman
…
Sr. Jordan Johnston is first team All-SoCon … has
win over SoCon player of the year, Ansley Speaks …
In 2013… Elon beat Furman, 4-0, in semis and lost to
College of Charleston in final ... No.4 Elon and No.1 Furman are in the top
half bracket and should meet in Friday’s semis.
SoCon Titles - 0
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net