Women's Tennis Tabbed Ninth in SAC Preseason Poll

ROCK HILL, SC -- The Catawba women’s tennis team was picked ninth in the preseason South Atlantic Conference Coaches Poll.  The Catawba Indians went 13-13 last season and finished seventh in the league, just missing a spot in the SAC Tournament.  Catawba returns six players from a year ago, including five that saw action in league matches.

Catawba went 4-2 during its fall matches in 2011.  Sophomore Ally Prior Raleigh, NC/Wakefield HS) saw action at #1 in the fall after posting a 17-5 mark last year while playing in the lower three slots.  Freshman Sloan Kessler (Onalaska, WI/La Crosse Aquinas HS) played mainly #2 in the fall, posting a 4-2 mark.  Junior Maggie McKee (Mt. Airy, NC/Mt. Airy HS) returns to the #3 spot as does senior Steffi Cook (Alpharetta, GA/Milton HS) at #4.  Cook broke the school record for career wins in the fall.

Senior Candace Hall (Denver, NC/E. Lincoln HS) saw action at #5 in the fall, while junior Hannah Kovach (Salisbury, NC/E. Rowan HS) and sophomore Olivia Myers (Lexington, NC/W. Davidson HS) saw time at the #5 and #6 spots.  Both Hall and Myers did double duty in the fall as they also ran cross country for Catawba.

Wingate earned the top spot in the preseason poll, which was announced by the league office on Tuesday.  The defending conference champion Bulldogs received seven first place-votes.  No. 2 in the poll is Anderson and is followed by Lincoln Memorial.  Tusculum was fourth, with two first-place votes with Mars Hill tabbed as fifth and received the other first-place nod.
 
The top six teams in the final standings will advance to the 2012 Food Lion SAC Championship. This season’s tournament will again be held in Rock Hill, SC at the Rock Hill Tennis Center on April 19-22.

VIDEO: Meet the 2012 Men's and Women's Tennis Teams

2012 SAC Women’s Tennis Preseason Poll

Team, Points (1st-place votes)
1. Wingate, 96 (7)
2. Anderson, 84
3. Lincoln Memorial, 77
4. Tusculum, 66 (2)
5. Mars Hill, 61 (1)
6. Brevard, 55
7. Newberry, 37
8. Carson-Newman, 36
9. Catawba, 28
10. Lenoir-Rhyne, 10