SAC Women’s Tennis Coaches Tab Wingate as Preseason Favorite

January 24, 2012

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Wingate has earned the top spot in the 2012 SAC women's tennis preseason poll, which was voted on by the conference's head coaches, it was announced on Tuesday.

The defending conference champion Bulldogs received 96 points and seven first place-votes to take the top spot. WU's lineup will be anchored by 2011 SAC Freshman of the Year and 2012 preseason All-SAC First Team selection Ali Evers. Evers is currently rated 16th in the ITA Southeast Region Rankings, which are based off fall tournament results.

She is joined on the Bulldogs' roster by preseason All-SAC First Team selections Morgan Winston and Olivia Poole.

No. 2 in the poll is Anderson, which totaled 84 points coming off its first season in the SAC. The Trojans bring back Lauren Trumbull, a preseason All-SAC First Team selection, and junior Camie Beaulieu-Brunet, who is currently ranked 18th in the Southeast Region.

Picked to finish third is Lincoln Memorial with 77 points followed by Tusculum, which tallied 66 points, including two first-place votes.

LMU placed two players on the preseason All-Conference First Team in Leah Donoff and Sofia Lopez Mimendi.

Mars Hill was selected to finish fifth with 61 points and one first-place vote. The Lions' lineup will be led by 2011 SAC Player of the Year Erika Pinate.

Behind MHC was Brevard at No. 6 and Newberry at No. 7. Lindsay Hostetter is back for her final season at Brevard and was named to the preseason All-SAC First Team.

Carson-Newman finished a point behind the Wolves to come in at No. 8 in the preseason poll, while Catawba was projected to finish ninth.

Rounding out the poll is Lenoir-Rhyne at No. 10.

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, S.C. at the Rock Hill Tennis Center on April 19-22.

2012 SAC Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches' 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

2012 SAC Women's Tennis Preseason All-Conference Team

First Team

Lauren Trumbull, Anderson
Lindsay Hostetter, Brevard
Leah Donoff, Lincoln Memorial
Sofia Lopez Mimendi, Lincoln Memorial
Erika Pinate, Mars Hill
Ali Evers, Wingate
Morgan Winston, Wingate
Olivia Poole, Wingate

Second Team

Avery Owens, Anderson
Claire Dillman, Brevard
Michelle Prata, Brevard
Kylie Elliot, Carson-Newman
Kelsey Love, Lenoir-Rhyne
Emily Mauser, Lenoir-Rhyne
Alexandra Granger, Lincoln Memorial
Tatiana Dualiby, Mars Hill