Tuesday, April 18, 2006

THREE PIONEERS EARN SAC WOMEN'S TENNIS HONORS

Claudia Bolivar All-SAC First Team	Maria Nevarez All-SAC First Team	Danae Valderrama All-SAC Second Team

ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Three Tusculum College players have been named to the 2006 All-South Atlantic Conference Women's Tennis Team announced league officials Tuesday.

Seniors Claudia Bolivar and Maria Nevarez were named to the All-SAC First Team, while junior Danae Valderrama earned Second Team recognition.

Bolivar, a native of Armenia, Colombia, earns All-Conference honors for a fourth straight year. She posted a 14-7 singles record this season, including 6-1 in SAC play. Bolivar, who was named the 2005 SAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, enters this year's event with a 53-22 career singles record, including 17-7 in career league matches.

Nevarez, a Guayaquil, Ecuador native, also earns All-SAC accolades for a fourth consecutive season. She accounted for an 18-3 singles mark, including 7-0 in league play. Nevarez becomes only the second player in school history to go undefeated in her career in SAC matches, posting an impressive 24-0 slate. She is already the winningest singles player in TC history with a 71-7 record.

Valderrama, an Orlando, Fla. product, garners her third All-SAC honor posting an 18-3 singles record, including 6-1 in SAC action. She has won 11 of her last 12 singles matches and is 50-7 in her career at Tusculum (15-2 in SAC matches).

The Pioneers (15-6) are the No. 2 seed in this year's Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament and will host seventh-seeded Wingate University on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in a quarterfinal match.

- SAC -

2006 All-South Atlantic Conference Women'sTennis Team

First Team

Erika Bellenttini, Carson-Newman

Nancie Gruber, Mars Hill

Lauren Brown, Presbyterian

Catherine Bankhead, Presbyterian

Lisa Moyer, Presbyterian

Claudia Bolivar, Tusculum

Maria Nevarez, Tusculum

Alexis McDaniel, Wingate

Second Team

Lauren Fluegge, Catawba

Julia McKinzie, Catawba

Jenny Rogers, Mars Hill

Whitney Stroud, Mars Hill

Abby Diminish, Presbyterian

Danae Valderrama, Tusculum

Courtney Luce, Wingate

SAC Player of the Year: Lauren Brown, Presbyterian

SAC Freshman of the Year: Abby Diminish, Presbyterian

SAC Coach of the Year: Bobby McKee, Presbyterian

SAC Scholar Athlete: Lauren Brown, Presbyterian