SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman freshman Ansley Speaks has been named the Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Week for all matches played March 24-30. Speaks was a perfect 6-0 last week for the Paladins as Furman earned SoCon wins over Appalachian State (7-0), Samford (4-3) and Chattanooga (4-3).

The Simpsonville, S.C., native was 3-0 last week at the No. 1 singles position. Speaks topped Appalachian State’s Clare Cox, 6-1, 6-3, before downing Samford’s Stephanie N’tcha by a 6-3, 6-0 score. She closed the week with her third straight-sets win, as she downed Chattanooga’s Kayla Jones, 6-4, 6-2.

Competing at No. 2 doubles with Blair Martin, the Furman duo edged Cox and McKayla Zupan of Appalachian State, 8-7 (7-5) to open the week. Speaks and Martin then raced past Samford’s N’tcha and Carita Moolman, 8-1, before closing the week with an 8-3 victory over UTC’s Jones and Katie Polk.

Other top performers in the Southern Conference included Appalachian State’s Megan Mullen, Davidson’s Brites Moniz-Soares, Georgia Southern’s Mary Phillips Smith, Samford’s Yasmeen Ebada, Chattanooga’s Kaylene Chadwell, Western Carolina’s Stacia Kissell, and Wofford’s Sarah Evans.

SoCon Women’s Tennis Player of the Week
Feb. 18 – Stephanie N’tcha, Samford
Feb. 25 – Claire Mulyadi, Chattanooga
March 4 – Yasmeen Ebada, Samford
March 12 – Yasmeen Ebada, Samford
March 18 – Barbora Lazarova, Elon
March 25 – Jordan Johnston, Elon
April 1 – Ansley Speaks, Furman