SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Southern Conference announced today that Appalachian State’s Dimitar Dimitrov has been named the Men’s Tennis Player of the Week and Furman’s Laura Gioia has been named the Women’s Tennis Player of the Week for March 27.

A senior from Sofia, Bulgaria, Dimitrov went 4-0 at No. 3 singles last week and 3-1 in doubles action with partner Ryan Brookshaw. He started the week with a come-from-behind win over Davidson’s Scott Myers 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 on March 20. He then topped South Carolina State’s Parantap Chaturvedi 6-4, 6-2 on March 22. His two matches over the weekend were crucial in the Mountaineers’ wins. Dimitrov defeated Chattanooga’s Peter Sauska 6-1, 6-2 to give ASU its third point of the day en route to a 4-3 win over the Mocs on March 24. On Monday, Dimitrov won his doubles match and then topped Gardner-Webb’s Kim Ellis 6-1, 6-2 to give the Mountaineers a 2-0 lead and eventual 4-3 win over the Bulldogs.

Other top men’s tennis performers include College of Charleston’s Or Deckel, Chattanooga’s Mark Fynn, Furman’s Andy Juc and Wofford’s Andrew Stubbs.

Gioia, a sophomore from Tampa, Fla., was 3-0 at No. 1 singles action last week and 2-1 with teammate Natasa Manojlovic at No. 1 doubles. She started the week with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Wofford’s Merry Ellen Henry in the Lady Paladins 7-0 win over the Terriers on March 21.  Gioia also defeated Ana Spivakovsky from Charlotte 6-3, 6-4 on March 22 in a 5-2 win. Her biggest win of the week was in Furman’s 6-1 win over Chattanooga when she topped 46th-ranked Anastasia Zhukova 3-6, 6-2, 10-8. Gioia is 14-2 at No. 1 singles and is 11-5 at No. 1 doubles.

Other top women’s tennis performers include College of Charleston’s Laura Borza, Davidson’s Virginia Berry and Wofford’s Cayley Wetzig.