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ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Former Tusculum College women's tennis
standout Lesley Murray has been selected for
induction to The South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame announced
SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz Friday.
Joining Murray in this year's induction class are: Former SAC
Commissioner Doug Echols, Lenoir-Rhyne
University's Michelle Baity Bryant (volleyball),
Leah Jackson Smith of Carson-Newman College
(women's basketball) and Mars Hill College's Andy
Thompson (men's soccer).
This year's class will be inducted into the SAC Hall of Fame
during ceremonies at the Biltmore Doubletree Hotel in Asheville,
N.C. on June 4, 2009. A reception will begin at 6:15 p.m., followed
by the Hall of Fame Banquet at 7 p.m.
Murray becomes the first Tusculum student-athlete to be inducted
into the SAC Hall of Fame. She was the first student-athlete in the
conference's history to be named Player of the Year for four
consecutive years, earning that honor from 2000-04 in women's
tennis. In 2004, she also became the first student-athlete in
school history to be named SAC Female Athlete of the Year.
She posted a remarkable 64-2 singles record at Tusculum, including
20 consecutive victories to close out her storied career. The
Monroe, Ga. native earned All-Conference First Team honors four
times and never lost a conference singles match (22-0).
In her four seasons, Tusculum posted a 63-19 overall record, while
capturing three South Atlantic Conference titles, a 2004 SAC
Tournament Championship and four trips to the NCAA Division II
Tournament. Her final three teams also finished the year nationally
ranked.
In her rookie season (2000-01), she posted a perfect 21-0 record
in singles play and 21-0 in doubles action with Greeneville, Tenn.
native and Academic All-American® Pam Holt. Murray was named
the SAC Player and Freshman of the year and ended the season ranked
No. 26 in NCAA Division II singles (3rd in NCAA East Region).
Murray and Holt also finished the campaign listed 21st in doubles
(3rd in Region). In her first season, she helped guide Tusculum to
a 13-10 record and the program's first-ever berth to the NCAA
postseason (first by any Tusculum athletic team).
During the 2001-02 campaign, Murray suffered her first singles
loss of her collegiate career, dropping a three-set match to UNC
Pembroke's Christine Orben on March 6, 2002. That loss ended a
string of 27 straight singles wins to start her career. She would
finish the season 17-1 and 6-0 in conference play. She also posted
a perfect 3-0 record against regionally ranked competition. The
Pioneers posted its best season to date, going 15-4 and claiming a
share of the program's first South Atlantic Conference title.
In 2002-03, she posted an 11-1 record, including 6-0 in league
play as the Pioneers went 15-4 once again, while claiming a share
of the SAC Championship. Murray finished the season ranked 10th
regionally in singles and doubles, while Tusculum ended the
campaign listed 37th in the country before falling to No. 2 Lynn
University in the NCAA Tournament second round
During her senior year, she led the Pioneers to their best season
in school history as Tusculum rolled to a 20-1 record, while
sweeping both the SAC regular season and tournament titles. Murray
went 15-0 during her senior season and was named the SAC Player of
the Year and SAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Murray was the recipient of the SAC Scholar Athlete Award for
Women's Tennis in her final two seasons (2002-03, 2003-04) and was
named to the