SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford’s Rouxanne Janse Van Rensburg been named the Southern Conference women’s tennis player of the week for all matches played April 12-18, the conference office announced Monday. The weekly award, the third for Janse Van Rensburg this season, is the final one of the 2021 campaign.
Janse Van Rensburg, a junior, went 3-0 at No. 1 singles and 2-1 at No. 1 doubles as Samford won three matches during the week to clinch the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Championship. The Bulldogs downed Western Carolina 6-1 on Wednesday, beat Mercer 4-3 on Friday and concluded the regular season with a 6-1 win over Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon.
The native of Franschhoek, South Africa, began the week with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Western Carolina’s Kata Foldeak before downing Mercer’s Maeva Roquebert 6-1, 6-1. Against Chattanooga, Janse Van Rensburg allowed Chattanooga’s Jessie Young to win just a single set, cruising to a 6-1, 6-0 victory.
In doubles, she and partner Alexis Lopez fell 6-4 to Western Carolina’s duo of Jacy Smith and Julia Pezzuco but rebounded to win against Mercer’s top duo (6-2) and Chattanooga’s top pair (6-2).
Next, Samford (14-10, 4-3 SoCon) will take on top-seeded Furman (19-6, 7-0), ranked 32nd nationally, in the semifinal round of the SoCon Women’s Tennis Championship. First serve is set for 2 p.m. CT.
Also nominated: Julia Adams (Furman), Brianna Gomez (UNCG), Emma Van Hee (Chattanooga) and Lilie Steryous (Wofford).
SoCon Women’s Tennis Players of the Week
Jan. 25 – Katarina Kozarov, Furman
Feb. 1 – Katarina Kozarov, Furman
Feb. 8 – Julia Adams, Furman
Feb. 15 – Julia Adams, Furman
Feb 22 – Rouxanne Janse Van Rensburg, Samford
March 1 – Katarina Kozarov, Furman
March 8 – Madison Dillon, Furman
March 15 – Emilia Alfaro, ETSU
March 22 – Rouxanne Janse Van Rensburg, Samford
March 29 – Brianna Gomez, UNCG
April 5 – Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga, ETSU
April 12 – Katarina Kozarov, Furman
April 19 – Rouxanne Janse Van Rensburg, Samford
- www.SoConSports.com -