Perez, Gray named Zaxby's Athletes of the Week

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University golfer Jeffery Perez and outside Gabby Gray have been named the Zaxby's Athletes of the Week.

Perez, a junior from Rock Island, Illinois, captured medalist honors at last week's Mars Hill Fall Invitational at the Johnson City Country Club.  Perez shot a two-day score of 137 (-7) including a career-best 65 (-7) in last Tuesday's final round.  His 65 is tied for the second-lowest round in Tusculum history, while his 36-hole score of 137 is tied for ninth in the TU record book.

Perez, who is in his second season with the Pioneers, leads the South Atlantic Conference with his 68.5 stroke average.  TU finished tied for first place honors with Belmont Abbey but lost to the Crusaders on the second hole of the team playoff.

Gray, a native of Lafayette, Georgia, led the Pioneers to two a pair SAC sweeps over UVa-Wise and Lenoir-Rhyne. She averaged 3.82 kills and 2.82 digs per set in her three matches last week while posting a .289 hitting percentage.

The junior finished with nine kills, two service aces, and three block assists against the Cavaliers on Tuesday. In a tough five-set loss to Mars Hill, Gray tied her career-high 23 kills, hitting .333, while setting a new personal mark with 23 digs. She also contributed two block assists in the lone TU loss of the week. Against the Lenoir-Rhyne, Gray collected 10 kills and two block assists. The Pioneers hit .650 with only one error in the second set of the trouncing of Bears, defeating the visitors 25-11 in the frame.

On the season, Gray is averaging 3.00 kills and 2.85 digs per set in her nine matches.

The Tusculum University Athlete of the Week Award is sponsored by Zaxby's, located at 3280 Andrew Johnson Highway in Greeneville.  The Zaxby's Athlete of the Week Award honors one male and one female athlete each week from an in-season sport.

2019-2020 Zaxby's Athletes of the Week