Limestone Named Favorite to Win 2016 Conference Carolinas Women's Tennis Championship
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Limestone College Saints have been voted the preseason favorites to win the 2016 Conference Carolinas Women’s Tennis Championship, the league announced today. Limestone received five first-place votes and 81 points from conference coaches.
The Saints turned in an impressive 2015 season by capturing their first-ever Conference Carolinas regular season championship with a perfect 11-0 mark and going 13-6 overall.
Pfeiffer and Erskine come in tied for second in the preseason poll with 80 points apiece. The Falcons received three first-place votes, while the Flying Fleet nabbed two.
Pfeiffer turned in a 19-4 overall record in 2015 and a 9-1 record in Conference Carolinas play. The stellar play led to a 2015 Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship title and berth in the NCAA Women's Tennis Championship.
Entering 2016 Erskine looks to regain its supremacy in Conference Carolinas after posting a 10-11 record a season ago, which included an 8-3 conference mark.
Mount Olive landed at fourth in the preseason poll with 66 points, followed by North Greenville with 54 points in fifth. Barton would tally 52 points to take the sixth spot in the poll.
The Trojans went 14-6 overall in 2015 and 9-2 in Conference Carolinas action. The Crusaders of North Greenville turned in a 9-12 record with a 7-4 conference record. The Bulldogs finished conference play 6-5 in 2015 and 7-12 overall.
Belmont Abbey and Converse were selected to finish seventh and eighth with 41 and 32 points, respectively.
The Belmont Abbey Crusaders went 5-15 a season ago and 3-8 in Conference Carolinas action. The Valkyries turned in a 6-12 overall record and 5-6 conference mark in 2015.
Rounding out the poll at ninth and 10th are Lees-McRae and King with 31 and 23 points, respectively.
The Bobcats notched a 6-14 overall record and 4-7 mark in conference play, while the Tornado went 2-16 and 2-9 in Conference Carolinas play.
The 2016 Conference Carolinas women's tennis season begins on Friday, Jan. 29.
2016 Women's Tennis Preseason Poll
| School (first-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. Limestone (5) |
81 |
| T2. Pfeiffer (3) |
80 |
| T2. Erskine (2) |
80 |
| 4. Mount Olive |
66 |
| 5. North Greenville |
54 |
| 6. Barton |
52 |
| 7. Belmont Abbey |
41 |
| 8. Converse |
32 |
| 9. Lees-McRae |
31 |
| 10. King |
23 |
Conference Carolinas is a NCAA Division II athletics conference made up of 12 teams from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. These institutions consist of: Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Converse College, Emmanuel College, Erskine College, King University, Lees-Mcrae College, Limestone College, University of Mount Olive, North Greenville University, Pfeiffer University, and Southern Wesleyan University. Emmanuel College and Southern Wesleyan University are currently completing the NCAA Membership Process and will be fully competing in league championships in the near future.