Murray State University Athletics
Spencer named OVC Player of the Year, Keasling earns OVC Coach of the Year
4/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
The Murray State women's tennis team not only swept the Ohio Valley Conference's post-season honors but also got a league-high five players named to the All-OVC Team.
The Racers finished third at the OVC Championship this weekend, but earned the top seed with a perfect 9-0 mark against league competition.
Senior Melissa Spencer (Roswell, Ga./Lassiter HS) was named OVC Player of the Year, her second straight such honor and her third listing on the All-OVC Team. Spencer went 21-13 in singles play this year (winning her last nine matches), a perfect 9-0 in OVC competition, and earned OVC Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks. Teamed with Jaclyn Leeper in doubles, the team went 22-13 overall, a perfect 9-0 in OVC play, winning 11 of their last 12.
She closes out her four-year career tied for fifth on the MSU career combined (singles and doubles) wins list at 167, ranking seventh in both the singles (85) and doubles (82) career lists.
Head coach Connie Keasling earned her fifth OVC Coach of the Year award, guiding the team to a 19-6 overall record and perfect 9-0 mark in conference play.
Other players named to the 2004 All-OVC Team from Murray State were:
*Jaclyn Leeper (West Paducah, Ky./Heath HS), a junior who went 21-11 in singles play and 7-1 in OVC competition, winning 15 of her last 17 matches. Teamed with Spencer, the doubles pair went 22-13 overall, a perfect 9-0 in OVC play, winning 11 of their last 12.
*Anna Lask (Louisville, Ky./Kentucky Country Day HS), a freshman who went 24-6 in singles play, a perfect 5-0 against OVC competition, winning her last 10 matches. Paired with her twin sister, Rachael, the doubles team went 29-8 overall, a perfect 9-0 in OVC competition, winning their last 12 doubles matches and 19 of their last 20.
*Rachael Lask (Louisville, Ky./Kentucky Country Day HS), a freshman who went 27-8 in singles play, a perfect 7-0 in OVC play, winning her last nine matches and 20 of her last 23. Teamed with her twin sister, Anna, the doubles team went 29-8 overall, a perfect 9-0 in OVC play, winning their last 12 doubles matches and 19 of their last 20.
*Casady Pruitt (Merrillville, Ind./Merrillville HS), a freshman who went 21-10 in singles play and 8-1 in OVC competition, winning eight of her last 10 singles matches. Teamed with Jennifer Ward, the doubles pair went 30-5 overall, a perfect 9-0 in OVC play, winning their last 15 matches.
