ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum University junior Caitlin McCullough has been recognized as the AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week in women's tennis for the week ending April 14, the SAC office announced Monday.
McCullough won both of her matches in singles and doubles as the Pioneers clinched the outright SAC championship with wins over Lincoln Memorial (6-1) and Catawba (7-0). The Pioneers finished 10-0 and went undefeated in the league for the first time since 2009, while capturing their first SAC title since the 2010 team shared the crown with Lincoln Memorial.
McCullough, a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, gives Tusculum the SAC Player of the Week award for the fourth straight week, with three different players winning the last three in a row. She joins Brittani Brooks (Feb. 11), her sister Annie (March 25 and April 1) and Julia Lopez (April 8) in capturing the honor.
Playing at number-two singles for the Pioneers, McCullough defeated Julia Loos of Lincoln Memorial 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday, then rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Sophie Hirsch of Catawba on Saturday. In doubles, the McCullough sisters ran their winning streak to 14 matches with wins over Lincoln Memorial (6-3) and Catawba (6-4).
McCullough went 8-2 in SAC matches this season and 14-4 in all dual matches, and has a 17-8 overall singles record this season. In doubles, the McCullough sisters were 10-0 in conference competition and 16-2 in dual matches, with an overall season record of 23-3.
Tusculum is the top seed in the SAC Women's Tennis Championship and will host eighth-seeded Catawba in a quarterfinal match on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Nichols Tennis Complex.