SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina’s Jacy Smith has been named the Southern Conference women’s tennis player of the week for all matches played from March 3-9, the conference office announced Tuesday.
 
Smith, a sophomore, went 2-0 in both singles and doubles as Western Carolina dropped a pair of road conference contests to ETSU and Chattanooga.
 
In singles, Smith began the week with a 6-4, 6-4 win over ETSU’s Alejandra Morales at No. 2 singles. She added another win two days later, downing Chattanooga’s Bodgana Zaporzhets 6-4, 6-4.
 
In doubles play, Smith and her teammate Jordan Strickland played in the top spot and swept ETSU’s pair of Morales and Bakhodirova, 6-0. Two days later, the duo picked up a 6-3 win over Chattanooga’s Emma Van Hee and Caroline Gibbens, ranked 76^th nationally.
 
Western Carolina remains on the road for two nonconference contests, playing at North Carolina Central on March 12 and at Presbyterian on March 13 before returning home to host Campbell on March 16.
 
Also nominated: Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga (ETSU), Katarina Kozarov (Furman), Rouxanne Janse Van Rensburg (Samford) and Jessie Young (Chattanooga).  
 
SoCon Women’s Tennis Players of the Week
Jan. 21 – Katarina Kozarov, Furman
Jan. 28 – Katarina Kozarov, Furman
Feb. 4 – Julia Adams, Furman
Feb. 11 – Katarina Kozarov, Furman
Feb.18 – Laylo Bakhodirova, ETSU
Feb. 25 – Emma Van Hee, Chattanooga
March 3 – Alejandra Morales, ETSU
March 10 – Jacy Smith, Western Carolina