RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – After providing the heroics in Harding's biggest win of the season, freshman Brooke Coffman has been named the Great American Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week, as announced by the league office Wednesday.
The honor follows Coffman's clutch performance in Harding's 4-3 upset of No. 40 Northeastern State last Saturday, marking the first weekly award of her career.
The Clincher
With the dual match tied at 3-3, all eyes turned to the No. 3 singles flight where Coffman was locked in a marathon with the RiverHawks' Sofiia Kotliarova. After dropping the opening set 6-2, the Naperville, Illinois, native showed veteran poise to force a second-set tiebreaker.
Coffman outlasted Kotliarova in an 18-point tiebreaker (10-8) and eventually secured the match—and the team victory—with a 7-5 win in the third set.
Top-Tier Doubles
Earlier in the dual, Coffman teamed with senior Karli Roux at the No. 1 doubles position to help Harding secure the doubles point. The duo, currently ranked No. 5 in the nation, made quick work of Northeastern State's No. 33-ranked tandem of Daisy Barrow and Renata Morales with a 6-1 victory.
Coffman was selected for the award by a three-person committee over fellow nominees Emilia Nowak (Henderson State) and Lucia Perez (Arkansas Tech).
Up Next
The Lady Bisons (3-8) are currently on a spring break road trip in Mississippi. Following a match at No. 6 Mississippi College today, Harding will conclude the trip Friday at Delta State before returning home to begin GAC play.
