Wednesday, April 07, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Stetson’s Unnati Purushotham led the Hatters to road wins at USC Upstate and Campbell that vaulted the team to finish 8-2 in the Atlantic Sun and capture the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. For her performance, Purushotham claimed the second Player of the Week award of her career and the season, the conference office announced Wednesday.

Purushotham won both her singles matches against the Spartans and Camels in straight sets and both her doubles matches with partner Shannon Gunning. The junior business administration major owns wins 11 consecutive singles matches with seven straight-set wins in a row plus seven consecutive doubles victories.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers
Aline Berkenbrock, UNF (So. - No. 1 Singles/Doubles - Joinville, Brazil - Nutrition) – Berkenbrock defeated ETSU’s No. 119 ranked Yevgeniya Stupak, 7-5, 6-2, in the No. 1 position in the A-Sun Women’s Tennis Game of the Week Saturday in Johnson City, Tenn.

Francisca Valderrama, USC Upstate (Fr. - No. 1 Singles/Doubles - Santiago, Chile) – Valderrama posted a 4-2 week, helping USC Upstate finish the season with a 12-5 overall mark and 6-4 tally in the A-Sun. The freshman teamed with partner Monica Pezzotti to post a huge 8-5 upset against Stetson's No. 57 ranked doubles pair of Valentina Galbarini and Carolina De Los Santos, the Spartan freshman added a 6-4, 6-2 victory versus Priscillia Villemond at No. 1 singles and a 7-5, 6-1 win against Campbell's Lisa Sutton.