SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Former Georgia Southern women’s tennis player Anita Buggins, who went undefeated in league play in her career, has been selected for entry into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame. She is the third member of Class of 2022, which the league is announcing one member at a time each day from May 16-20.
 
Buggins, who competed for the Eagles from 1994-98, was the SoCon Freshman of the Year in the spring of 1995, the league’s player of the year in both 1997 and 1998, and the SoCon Female Athlete of the Year in 1997-98.
 
A four-time All-SoCon selection in singles and a three-time all-conference pick in doubles, Buggins turned in a 56-11 career singles record and 56-9 doubles mark. More impressively, Buggins never lost a SoCon match, going 30-0 in both singles and doubles in league play in her career.
 
Buggins won SoCon singles and doubles championships at No. 2 in 1995 and 1996 and added singles and doubles championships at No. 1 in 1997, when she was named the SoCon Tournament Most Valuable Player. She helped the Eagles win SoCon tournament titles in 1995 and 1996 and regular-season titles in 1995, 1996 and 1998.
 
A GTE Academic All-District selection as a senior, Buggins was awarded a Mike Wood Foundation Graduate Scholarship in 1998.
 
She would go on to play professionally for nearly two years following graduation.
 
The Swindon, England, native was named to the SoCon Women’s 25th Anniversary Team in 2007-08 and to the 100th Anniversary Team in 2021. Buggins was inducted into Georgia Southern’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
 
Buggins is the second Georgia Southern Eagle to be enshrined in the Southern Conference Hall of Fame, joining football standout Adrian Peterson, who was inducted in the inaugural class in 2009. She is the third member of the Class of 2022 to be announced this week, as Western Carolina’s Kirk Roach was announced Tuesday and ETSU’s DeShawne Blocker was announced Monday.
 
Student-athletes who competed for a minimum of two seasons in the Southern Conference were eligible for consideration for the Hall of Fame, along with coaches and administrators who spent at least five years in the league. A pool of more than 200 candidates from the conference’s current and former member institutions were nominated for consideration. The pool of former student-athletes, coaches and administrators was cut down to 40 individuals who comprised the final ballot. A voting panel of 20 media members and league administrators made the selection of the induction class.
 
Anita Buggins on her selection to the SoCon Hall of Fame:
“I’m not really a person of many words, but I’m surprised and thrilled to be nominated and selected for the SoCon Hall of Fame!”
 
 
2022 Induction Class
DeShawne Blocker, ETSU, Women’s Basketball
Kirk Roach, Western Carolina, Football
Anita Buggins, Georgia Southern, Women’s Tennis
TBA (Thursday, May 19)
TBA (Friday, May 20)
 
2020 Induction Class
Lynne Agee, UNCG, Women’s Basketball
Eric Breitenstein, Wofford, Football
Terrell Owens, Chattanooga, Football/Men’s Basketball/Men’s Track & Field
Rod Thorn, West Virginia, Men’s Basketball/Baseball
Wayne Tolleson, Western Carolina, Baseball/Football
 
2018 Induction Class
Mike Ayers, ETSU/Wofford, Football
Ron Carter, VMI, Men’s Basketball
Susan Gardner Mayhorn, Western Carolina, Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country
Chal Port, The Citadel, Baseball
*Les Robinson, The Citadel/ETSU, Men’s Basketball/Administration
Debbie Southern, Furman, Women’s Tennis
 
2016 Induction Class
Stephen Curry, Davidson, Men’s Basketball
Armanti Edwards, App State, Football
Brad Faxon, Furman, Men’s Golf
Keith “Mister” Jennings, ETSU, Men’s Basketball
Karen Pelphrey, Marshall, Women’s Basketball
 
2014 Induction Class
Rushia Brown, Furman, Women’s Basketball
Eddie Cameron, Duke, Football/Men’s Basketball
Clint Dempsey, Furman, Men’s Soccer
Jerry Moore, App State, Football
Charlie Teague, Wake Forest, Baseball
 
2012 Induction Class
Angie Barker, ETSU, Women’s Track & Field
Percy Beard, Auburn, Men’s Track & Field
*Jim Burch, Southern Conference
Dick Modzelewski, Maryland, Football
Paul Scarpa, Furman, Men’s Tennis
 
2011 Induction Class
Dexter Coakley, App State, Football
Lefty Driesell, Davidson, Men’s Basketball
Regina Kirk, Chattanooga, Women’s Basketball
Gen. Robert Neyland, Tennessee, Football
Vic Seixas, North Carolina, Men’s Tennis
Shannon Wommack, Chattanooga, Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country
 
2010 Induction Class
Everett Case, NC State, Men’s Basketball
Mary Jayne Harrelson, App State, Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country
Fred Hetzel, Davidson, Men’s Basketball
“Hot” Rod Hundley, West Virginia, Men’s Basketball
Banks McFadden, Clemson, Football/Men’s Basketball
Wallace Wade, Alabama/Duke/SoCon, Football/Commissioner
*J. Dallas Shirley, Southern Conference
 
2009 Induction Class – Inaugural Year
Megan Dunigan, Furman, Women’s Tennis
Dick Groat, Duke, Men’s Basketball/Baseball
Sam Huff, West Virginia, Football
Charlie Justice, North Carolina, Football
Melissa Morrison Howard, App State, Track & Field
Arnold Palmer, Wake Forest, Men’s Golf
Adrian Peterson, Georgia Southern, Football
Frank Selvy, Furman, Men’s Basketball
Jerry West, West Virginia, Men’s Basketball
Valorie Whiteside, App State, Women’s Basketball
 
* Special Contributor
 
 
ABOUT THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
The Southern Conference, in its 101st season of intercollegiate competition, is a national leader in emphasizing the development of the student-athlete and helping build lifelong leaders and role models. The conference has been on the forefront of innovation and originality in developing creative solutions to address issues facing intercollegiate athletics. From establishing the first conference basketball tournament (1921), to tackling the issues of freshman eligibility (1922), to developing women’s championships (1984) to becoming the first conference to install the 3-point goal in basketball (1980), the Southern Conference has been a pioneer. The Southern Conference is the nation’s fifth-oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association.
 
The conference currently consists of 10 members in six states throughout the Southeast and sponsors 21 varsity sports and championships that produce participants for NCAA Division I Championships.