The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) announced its 30th Anniversary Women's Tennis Team, naming Southwestern's Mary Cardone '20 and Esther Bowers 21' to the list of SCAC standout athletes.
Southwestern's Cardone, a three-time all-SCAC First Team honoree (2017-19), was the league's Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year in 2017. She is the only woman in league history to earn both awards the same season after finishing 20-1, the second-highest single-season win percentage (.952) by a player in league history. In addition, Cardone finished as runner-up in the league's Player of the Year balloting in 2018 and 2019 before the pandemic wiping out her senior season. A two-time SCAC all-tournament selection and three-time NCAA singles qualifier, Cardone became Southwestern's third women's player to earn all-American honors when she received ITA recognition following the 2019 season.
Bowers is a three-time All-SCAC First Team selection, earning nods to the squad in 2018, 2019, and 2021 while finishing third in the Player of the Year voting the last of two of those seasons. Along with partner Kate Dougherty, she earned ITA all-American honors in 2017 as the duo captured the Regional Doubles Championship. In addition, Bowers played a vital role in catapulting the 2021 Southwestern squad to its first-ever SCAC women's tennis title and a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight, losing to eventual national champion Emory and earning a Top 10 national ranking.
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference will be announcing 30th Anniversary teams in 19 sports throughout the 2020-21 academic year. The league selected 15th Anniversary teams during the 2005-06 academic year – those selections can be found here.
The SCAC's 30th Anniversary teams were selected by present coaches, administrators, and conference office personnel. Athletes who participated in conference competition between the fall of 2005 through the spring of 2020 and made at least two All-SCAC teams or were selected as a Player of the Year in their respective sport were eligible for selection.
Among current league members, Trinity led the way with eight selections to the exclusive team, followed by Southwestern University with two selections and Texas Lutheran University with one honoree. Sewanee paced former league members with two student-athletes named to the squad, while DePauw University and Rhodes College had one honoree on the all-anniversary team.
SCAC WOMEN'S TENNIS – 30TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM
Janelle Arita, DePauw University
Esther Bowers, Southwestern University
Mary Cardone, Southwestern University
Gabriela Carvalho, University of the South-Sewanee
Hayley Dittus, Trinity University
Thavindra Ekanayake, Trinity University
Laura Fanjoy, University of the South-Sewanee
Alicia Hunt, Trinity University
Zoe Kaffen, Trinity University
Caroline Kutach, Trinity University
Katy Poettcker, Trinity University
Gabrielle Roe, Trinity University
Anna Beth Sanford, Rhodes College
Liza Southwick, Trinity University
Sofia Vega, Texas Lutheran University