Conference Carolinas

Erskine Ranked First in Women’s Tennis Coaches Preseason Poll

1/29/2014 12:00:00 AM

High Point, NC – Conference Carolinas Women’s Tennis Coaches have voted Erskine College as the top women’s tennis team coming into the 2014 season. With four returning players, including three all-conference honorees, Erskine is primed to make a run at their ninth Conference Carolinas Regular Season title and their 10^th straight conference tournament title. 

Last year the Fleet (18-6, 10-0) went undefeated in Conference Carolinas play then won the tournament dropping only one point to Queens University in the finals match. With the tournament victory, the Flying Fleet also garnered their ninth consecutive NCAA regional bid where they lost to in-state foe Francis Marion.

Erskine returns three of their top four players, including their #1 singles and doubles player in senior Corin Hallman. Last season Hallman propelled the Fleet from the top spot going 17-3 in singles and 14-8 in doubles play. Hallman also went a perfect 10-0 in Conference Carolinas play, which led to her being voted Conference Carolinas’ Player of the Year. She was also a 1^st team All-Conference selection for the 3^rd time in her college career. 

The projected #2 on this year’s team is Miranda Guthrie. Guthrie had an impressive freshman campaign, going 12-8 overall and 10-0 in Conference Carolinas.  She was also a 1^st team all-conference selection. In the #3 spot, Mika Goyette will look to pick up right where she left off in her sophomore year. Goyette’s sophomore campaign resulted in a 15-4 overall record and a 9-0 record in Conference Carolinas. She also was voted 2nd Team All-Conference for the second time in her collegiate career. 

The Falcons will rely on reigning conference Freshman of the Year Valeria Mendoza, who finished 2013 with a 13-4 record in singles play, 12-6 in doubles action, and 8-3 in the conference.  Mendoza was also named to the All-Conference First Team, one of two selections for the Falcons. Joining Mendoza on the All-Conference First Team was junior Taylor Lindsay, Mendoza’s doubles partner. The pair finished the season with a 12-7 record in doubles play.

Lindsay finished the 2013 season with a 9-9 overall mark and a 7-4 record in conference play. Earning a spot on the All-Conference Third Team was sophomore Hannah Watson who closed the season with an overall record of 11-7 and a conference record consisting of seven wins and four losses. The Falcons will be directed by first year head coach Justin Fainter who joins Pfeiffer following two successful years as the tennis coach at Roanoke College. While at Roanoke, Fainter received the 2013 ODAC women’s tennis Coach of the Year award.

 

Mount Olive brings back four starters from last year’s squad, which posted an overall record of 11-9 and finished fifth in the conference standings with a 7-4 mark. The fifth-seeded Trojans upset No. 4 seed Pfeiffer in the first round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament to advance to the semifinals. The Trojans also posted a 3-0 record this past fall against three South Atlantic Conference teams.

Junior Francesca Ceppi, who represents Conference Carolinas on the National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and spoke at this year’s NCAA Convention, is a two-time all-conference selection. Ceppi and senior Samara Paldinho helped Mount Olive set a school record with 19 wins in 2012. Both Ceppi and Paldinho won consolation brackets at a conference-wide tournament during the fall.

Also returning are Maite Belloso, Roxanne Chouinard, Paulina Delgado and Nicole Karas. Belloso and freshman Alejandra Hernandez won the Group B doubles title at this fall’s conference-wide tournament.

 

Limestone finished fourth in the poll with Barton fifth followed by North Greenville, Belmont Abbey, King, Lee-McRae College, and Converse respectively rounding-out the poll standings.

Conference Carolinas Women’s Tennis Pre-Season Poll   

(# of First Place Votes in Parenthesis)