Aguirre, Strong named All-SAC Second Team

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Newberry sophomores Ariel Strong and Susana Aguirre were named All-South Atlantic Conference Second Team selections as singles players, the conference announced on Tuesday.

Strong (Cassatt, S.C.) played in the Wolves’ number one position the entire season and posted a 14-8 overall record, including a 4-5 tally in SAC play.

Aguirre (Guayaquil, Ecuador), was a mainstay at number two in head coach Mark Gardiner’s lineup and posted an impressive 19-2 record at the position. Aguirre’s overall record is accompanied by a 7-1 record in SAC action. The two losses for Aguirre this season came in a match against Division I opponent South Carolina State and in a three-set heartbreaker to All-SAC First Team selection Tatiana Dualiby of Mars Hill College.

Aguirre and Strong become the first Wolves to be named All-SAC since Autise Mortimer in 2010. Mortimer was a first team selection. The Wolves duo is the first Newberry duo to be named to the All-SAC list in a single season since 2007, when Mortimer was a first team selection and Lauren Hartley found herself on the second team.

Newberry finished the 2012 season 13-10 overall and 4-5 in conference, and just missed a berth in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament.

SAC Player of the Year:  Erika Pinate, MHC
SAC Freshman of the Year:  Becca Thomas, WU
SAC Coach of the Year:  Michael Cabana, WU

2012 All-SAC Women’s Tennis Team

First Team
Singles
Erika Pinate, MHC
Leah Donoff, LMU
Holly Verner, TC
Ali Evers, WU
Claire Dillman, BC
Sofia Lopez-Mimendi, LMU*
Tatiana Dualiby, MHC*

Doubles
Ali Evers/Becca Thomas, WU
Leah Donoff/Sofia Lopez-Mimendi, LMU
Erika Pinate/Tatiana Dualiby, MHC
* tied for final first-team singles selection

Second Team
Singles
Becca Thomas, WU
Susana Aguirre, NEW
Ariel Strong, NEW
Avery Owens, AU
Camie Brunet, AU

Doubles
Claire Dillman/Michelle Prata, BC
Katelyn Doss/Holly Verner, TC
Camie Brunet/Shelby Anderson, AU