GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum softball pitcher Megan Ackerman and men's volleyball outside hitter Deklan Wingo have been named the Zaxby's Athletes of the Week.
Ackerman had three wins and a save in four appearances last week as the Pioneers extended their winning streak to 12 games and improved to 25-1 with South Atlantic Conference doubleheader sweeps of Coker and Anderson.
In the sweep of Coker on Tuesday, Ackerman threw a five-inning complete game in a 12-2 win in game one, and needed one pitch to secure the victory in relief in game two by a 7-6 score. Against Anderson on Saturday, Ackerman tossed a two-hit shutout and struck out five in a 5-0 victory in the opener, and closed the game with two strikeouts in the seventh as the Pioneers rallied for a 6-5 win in the nightcap.
The Gray, Tennessee native is 11-1 in 18 appearances (11 starts) with three saves and a 2.88 earned run average this season. Ackerman has struck out 57 batters and walked just five in 65 2/3 innings, with a streak of 26 straight innings without allowing a base on balls.
Wingo became the first player in program history to eclipse 1,000 career kills as the Pioneers defeated Lees-McRae 3-1 on Wednesday and beat King 3-2 on Saturday. Wingo had 19 kills and hit .429 while recording six service aces in the win over Lees-McRae, then had 25 kills in Saturday's victory at King.
The Chester, Virginia native has 1,014 kills in 93 career matches with the Pioneers, and has helped Tusculum tie the single-season program record for victories in a season (nine) with 11 regular-season contests remaining. Wingo has reached double figures in kills in 14 straight matches, and has 20 or more kills six times this season, including three times during the team's current five-match win streak.
Wingo leads NCAA Division I with 5.02 kills per set (291 kills in 58 sets), is tied for the team lead with 18 service aces and is second on the squad with 91 digs (1.57 per set).
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.
