April 24, 2013
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech freshman Kendal Woodard was named to the 2013 All-ACC women’s tennis team, announced by commissioner John Swofford Wednesday.
Woodard is the first Yellow Jacket freshman to earn all-conference honors since Irina Falconi in 2009. Woodard becomes the 18th Georgia Tech student-athlete to be selected to the All-ACC team.
“I’m really proud of Kendal for what she has done as a freshman,” head coach Rodney Harmon said. “She has played high in the lineup and won a bunch of singles and doubles matches for us. She has won some key matches that we needed, especially last weekend at NC State where she came back to win a three-set match against a senior on Senior Day. She has done a great job for us throughout the year, and I hope she can continue that at the ACC Tournament. I’m really excited for her and I believe the best is yet to come for her.”
Woodard is the highest ranked Yellow Jacket in the latest ITA Division I Tennis Rankings at No. 90. The Stockbridge, Ga., native has played No. 2 in the Tech singles lineup for most of the season and boasts a team-best 21 singles wins this year. She is 13-5 in dual matches, 7-2 in the ACC and has four wins over ranked opponents. Woodard enters the ACC Tournament on a hot streak, having won her last seven matches.
Woodard clinched Yellow Jacket team wins against No. 72 Syracuse, No. 58 Georgia State, No. 47 North Texas and at No. 6 Duke.
Woodard is also half of Georgia Tech’s top doubles team along with classmate Megan Kurey. The Tech tandem owns a stellar 22-5 overall record, an 18-2 mark in dual matches and a 9-1 ACC record playing from the No. 1 spot of the lineup. The rookie duo is ranked No. 56 in the latest college tennis poll.
Woodard enters the ACC Tournament with 26 total doubles wins this year and needs two wins to crack the Georgia Tech single-season top 10. Her .743 doubles winning percentage this year ranks fifth in the Yellow Jacket single-season annals.
Woodard and the Yellow Jackets will open the ACC Tournament at 9 a.m. Thursday as the No. 5 seed against the 12th-seeded Maryland Terrapins at the Cary (N.C.) Tennis Park.
Fans are encouraged to follow Georgia Tech women’s tennis on Twitter, @GT_WTEN, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensTennis, for an inside look at the program.
ACC Player of the Year: Gina Suarez-Malaguti, Sr., North Carolina
ACC Freshman of the Year: Julia Elbaba, Fr., Virginia
ACC Coach of the Year: Brian Kalbas, North Carolina
2013 All-ACC Women’s Tennis Team
Alex Kelleher, Sr., Boston College
Beatrice Gumulya, So., Clemson
Liz Jeukeng, Fr., Clemson
Yana Koroleva, So., Clemson
Mary Clayton, Sr., Duke
Ester Goldfeld, So., Duke **
Hanna Mar, Jr., Duke **
Daneika Borthwick, So., Florida State
Kendal Woodard, Fr., Georgia Tech
Vroni Van Berlo, Sr., Maryland
Stephanie Wagner, Fr., Miami
Gina Suarez-Malaguti, Sr., North Carolina
Zoe De Bruycker, Sr., North Carolina ***
Caroline Price, So., North Carolina
Joelle Kissell, Jr., NC State **
Julia Elbaba, Fr., Virginia
Stephanie Nauta, Fr.,Virginia
Ilinca Stoica, Fr., Virginia Tech
Kathryn Talbert, Sr., Wake Forest
#an extra member was added to the team due to a tie in voting.
**- Two-time All-ACC Selection
***- Three Time All-ACC Selection
–RamblinWreck.com–
