Game: East No. 3 seed Averett vs. West No. 2 seed Huntingdon
Setting: Friday, April 26 at 3 p.m. at the USA South Conference Tournament in LaGrange, Ga. at the McClusky Tennis Center
Tournament Links: Website |
Bracket
The Series: Averett is 0-3 against Huntingdon dating back to 2014. This will be the first meeting between the teams in the USA South Conference Tournament.
Averett at a Glance: The Cougars are on a hot streak, winning seven of their last eight matches to close out the 2018-19 regular season with a 12-5 (6-2 USA South) overall record.
Huntingdon at a Glance: The Hawks also finished the season strong, winning six of their last seven matches to conclude the regular season with a 14-4 (7-1 USA South) record.
Standout Season: Averett has steadily improved over the last few seasons, finishing .500 or better in conference play for the fourth straight season. Additionally, this is the first time the Cougars have finished with an overall winning record since 2000.
Presence in Tournament: After not qualifying the previous four years, the Cougars have turned the tide and are making their third consecutive appearance in the USA South Conference Tournament. Since the tournament went to a single-elimination bracket format, Averett made one appearance in the semifinals, which came in 2009.
All-Conference Selections: For the fourth straight year, senior
Heidi Sarkkinen was named the USA South Player of the Year and was a USA South All-Conference First Team selection. Ranked No. 21 in the nation and No. 15 in the region, Sarkkinen went 21-2 in singles play and 19-3 in doubles play to put an exclamation point on one of the best careers in program history. Sophomore
Eleanor Crane and freshman
Inka Zeilstra were also named to the USA South All-Conference First Team. Primarily playing No. 2 singles, Crane went 15-5 in singles play and 19-3 in doubles play, teamed with Sarkkinen in the No. 1 slot. Meanwhile, Zeilstra went 12-6 in primarily playing No. 3 singles and 13-6 in spending most of her time at No. 2 doubles.
