Fayetteville, NC – The Piedmont College women’s tennis team was picked to finish 6th according to the 2015 USA South Women’s Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll released earlier today by the league office. The ranking is the lowest that the Lady Lions have been picked to finish since becoming a USA South member though the team is coming off the program’s best season in Piedmont’s NCAA Era (since the 2004 season).
The poll, as voted on by the coaches of the 13 member institutions who sponsor women’s tennis, had the Lady Lions 6th of 13 with 93 total points. Methodist was picked to defend its title from a year ago taking 1st place with 140 total points taking eight of the 13 available 1st place votes.
Though it was North Carolina Wesleyan College who took the remaining five 1st place votes, the Battling Bishops finished 3rd in the poll behind 2nd place Meredith (125 total points) who did not earn a single 1st place vote. The 4th and 5th place spots belonged to Covenant and Huntingdon respectively with the Scots earning 111 points while the Hawks earned exactly 100 in the poll.
It was Huntingdon who eliminated PC a year ago from the USA South Championships in the quarterfinals though the Lady Lions had defeated the Hawks just a week prior in regular season competition as part of a 4th place finish in the 2014 USA South standings. The Lady Lions were picked to finish 4th in the 2014 Preseason Poll as well while they took a 5th place nod in the 2013 voting, their first season in the USA South.
Rounding out the 2015 poll were #7 Maryville (87 total points), #8 LaGrange (62), #9 William Peace (58), #10 Averett (39), #11 Mary Baldwin (32), #12 Ferrum (26), and #13 Greensboro (23).
The Lady Lions do need to replace three of their most productive singles players from a year ago after the departures of KATIE SAILORS, ASHLEY FANNON, and VIOLA TERSCHLUSE who combined for 38 of Piedmont’s 68 singles wins in 2014. Fannon’s 16 wins was one of the most productive seasons by a Lady Lion in the NCAA Era while Sailors handed Meredith’s Puja Patel her first conference loss.
Piedmont does return a pair of players who won double-digit singles decisions in 2014 in AMANDA BLACKWELL and NICOLE PARRISH who spent most of their time playing between the #2 and #4 singles slots throughout the season. Parrish posted an 8-5 record in singles play in USA South competition alone though the two also paired to go 6-2 in doubles action within the conference schedule as well, the best such showing for the Lady Lions.
Piedmont is set to open the 2015 season with a February 13 showdown with Sewanee, the third straight season the two have opened the schedule against each other. The Tigers swept PC in last year’s matchup on the way to an incredible 21-4 season that featured a Southern Athletic Association championship and a Regional Semis showing in the NCAA Tournament after an opening round win over Hanover.
After five straight matches away from home to open 2015, Piedmont will return to Burgen Tennis Courts for the home opener against USA South member William Peace on March 15 with the match slated to begin at 2:00 pm. The USA South Championship Tournament will be held on the campus of N.C. Wesleyan College at the end of the regular season on the weekend of April 17-19 in 2015.
2015 USA South Women’s Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank Institution (1st Place Votes) Pts.
1. Methodist (8) 140
2. Meredith 125
3. N.C. Wesleyan (5) 118
4. Covenant 111
5. Huntingdon 100
6. Piedmont 93
7. Maryville 87
8. LaGrange 62
9. William Peace 58
10. Averett 39
11. Mary Baldwin 32
12. Ferrum 26
13. Greensboro 23
