LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Following Trinity University’s 5-0 victory over Southwestern University for the conference crown on Sunday, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference announced the 2022 SCAC Women's Tennis All-Tournament team Friday afternoon. Complete Release
Trinity’s Cate Cushing earned All-Tournament honors for the second consecutive year for both her singles play at the No. 2 line as well as her doubles performance at No. 1 with teammate Megan Flores. For Flores, this marks the third consecutive tournament the senior has received all-tournament accolades for her doubles play – the last two years with Cushing and back in 2019 with Caroline Kutach.
Southwestern’s Emma Kesterson and Alli Ziehm, who earned All-Tournament honors for going 1-0 at No. 1 doubles, were also all-tourney selections at No. 3 doubles in 2021.
On Sunday, in a battle of two nationally ranked teams, it was the 13th-ranked Tigers day to shine as the 16th-ranked Pirates got behind early and never recovered. Trinity earned all three doubles points, including a big 8-2 win between two regionally ranked doubles teams at the No. 1 line when Cate Cushing and Megan Flores (ranked fifth in the West Region) defeated Nina Mitrofanova and Lydia Lee (ranked seventh in the West Region). Trinity's Olivia Kim and Ruth Hill posted a convincing 8-3 in over Southwestern's Alli Ziehm and Emma Kesterson at No. 2 doubles, and Ellie Hughes and Elodie Richard fought back to take an 8-6 win over Lauren Chisholm and Taylor Despriet at No. 3.
Needing just two wins in singles play to clinch the match, Cushing put Trinity on the doorstep of the conference title when she took her match at No. 2 by scores of 6-2, 6-0 over Despriet, and the Tigers' Hill provided the match and conference championship clinching point when she dispatched Kesterson, 6-3, 6-1.
*2022 SCAC Women's Tennis All-Tournament Team
No. 1 Singles – Nina Mitrofanova, Southwestern; Christina Heffron, Colorado College; Olivia Kim, Trinity
No. 2 Singles – Maddy Meister, Colorado College; Cate Cushing, Trinity
No. 3 Singles – Ruth Hill, Trinity
No. 4 Singles – Megan Flores, Trinity
No. 5 Singles – Karissa Guzman, St. Thomas
No. 6 Singles – Malia Rivera, Colorado College
No. 1 Doubles – Cate Cushing/Megan Flores, Trinity; Emma Kesterson/Alli Ziehm, Southwestern; Anamaria Gonzalez/Alejandra Lopez, St. Thomas
No. 2 Doubles – Ruth Hill/Olivia Kim, Trinity; Lauren Chisholm/Taylor Despriet, Southwestern
No. 3 Doubles – Ellie Hughes/Elodie Richard, Trinity
*Any player (or doubles team) that goes through the conference tournament undefeated is named to the all-tournament team automatically. If no one player or team goes undefeated using the above criteria, then the next best record at that position will be named to the all-tournament team. Coaches may also nominate a player for the all-tournament team.
