SAC Women’s Tennis Awards Headlined by Queens’ Rustscheff

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The SAC on Tuesday announced its 2014 women's tennis award winners, a list led by Queens' Christina Rustscheff, the conference's Player of the Year.

Rustscheff helped lead Queens to a third-place finish in the SAC standings in the program's first year in the conference. She completed the regular season 15-1 overall and 10-1 against the league in singles matches.

Rustscheff is accompanied on the All-SAC Singles First Team by Wingate's Ali Evers, Mars Hill's Tatiana Dualiby, Lincoln Memorial's Elena Vasilyeva, Brevard's Katie Daugherty and Lenoir-Rhyne's Zorica Djuric. Dualiby went 10-1 in SAC matches, Vasilyeva went 7-3, and Evers, Daugherty and Djuric each went 7-4. Evers is 11-10 overall, Dualiby is 16-2, Vasilyeva is 13-5, Daugherty is 12-5 and Djuric is 16-6.

Headlining the All-SAC Doubles First Team are Queens' Rustscheff and Melissa Liang, the conference's Freshman of the Year. Rustscheff and Liang combined to go 16-1 overall and 10-1 in the league this season.

Also earning spots on the doubles First Team are Wingate's tandem of Evers and Becca Thomas, and LMU's pair of Vasilyeva and Gemma Goodland. Evers and Thomas are 13-7 overall and 8-3 in the SAC, while Vasilyeva and Goodland finished 11-4 overall and 7-3 in conference play.

The All-SAC Singles Second Team is made up of Liang, Wingate's Caroline Holland, Newberry's Romina Adum, and Anderson's Avery Owens, Rebecca Bruning and Karen Ching. The tandems of Mars Hill's Dualiby and Lucy McLauren, Anderson's Owens and Ching, and Newberry's Adum and Susana Aguirre, meanwhile, form the doubles Second Team.

Mars Hill's Anna Rickenbaker and Jade Henke, Carson-Newman's Patricia Guerreiro, Catawba's Liz Renteria, Newberry's Vanessa Ortiz and Tusculum's Kate Hutchinson each earned selections to the singles Honorable Mention team, while Queens' Jaclyn Rock and Claire Hamilton, Brevard's Daugherty and Michelle Prata, and Tusculum's Erin Mills and Adrienne Kaye earned doubles honorable mention accolades.

Voting for SAC Coach of the Year ended in a tie, honoring Wingate's Michael Cabana and Tusculum's Tommy Arnett. Cabana receives Coach of the Year on the women's side for the fourth-straight year, while Arnett earns the award for the second time.

2014 SAC Women's Tennis Awards

SAC Player of the Year: Christina Rustscheff, Queens

SAC Freshman of the Year: Melissa Laing, Queens

Co-SAC Coaches of the Year: Michael Cabana, Wingate/Tommy Arnett, Tusculum

All-SAC First Team Singles

Christina Rustscheff, Queens

Ali Evers, Wingate

Tatiana Dualiby, Mars Hill

Elena Vasilyeva, Lincoln Memorial

Katie Daugherty, Brevard

Zorica Djuric, Lenoir-Rhyne

All-SAC First Team Doubles

Christina Rustscheff/Melissa Liang, Queens

Ali Evers/Becca Thomas, Wingate

Elena Vasilyeva/Gemma Goodland, Lincoln Memorial

All-SAC Second Team Singles

Caroline Holland, Wingate

Avery Owens, Anderson

Melissa Laing, Queens

Romina Adum, Newberry

Rebecca Bruning, Anderson

Karen Ching, Anderson

All-SAC Second Team Doubles

Tatiana Dualiby/Lucy McLauren, Mars Hill

Karen Ching/Avery Owens, Anderson

Romina Adum/Susana Aguirre, Newberry

All-SAC Honorable Mention Singles

Anna Rickenbaker, Mars Hill

Patricia Guerreiro, Carson-Newman

Liz Renteria, Catawba

Vanessa Ortiz, Newberry

Kate Hutchinson, Tusculum

Jade Henke, Mars Hill

All-SAC Honorable Mention Doubles

Jaclyn Rock/Claire Hamilton, Queens

Michelle Prata/Katie Daugherty, Brevard

Erin Mills/Adrienne Kaye, Tusculum