Furman’s Lillie Murphy was selected as both the Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, while head coach Michelle Dasso was named Coach of the Year, according to an April 15 announcement from the SoCon office.
These awards highlight a strong season for Furman’s women’s tennis program. Recognizing individual and team achievements can encourage further participation and development in collegiate sports.
Murphy, who is from Knoxville, Tennessee, became only the third athlete in conference history to win both player and freshman honors in a single season. She follows former Furman players Ansley Speaks (2014) and Megan Dunigan (1999) in this accomplishment. Murphy posted a 15-3 singles record overall with an undefeated 7-0 mark in league play. She also excelled at doubles, recording a 13-2 overall record with two different partners—Sasha Dimitrov earlier in the season (ranking as high as No. 16 nationally), then Elle Warren later on (ranking up to No. 31).
Dasso led Furman to a 15-4 overall record during her fourth year as head coach, reaching a national ranking as high as No. 66. The Paladins dominated their conference matches by shutting out four opponents and conceding only six points throughout league play.
In addition to Murphy’s accolades, freshman Elle Warren earned spots on both All-SoCon first teams for singles and doubles alongside Murphy; she also joined Murphy on the All-Freshman team after posting a strong singles performance at flight one with a 10-8 overall record (6-1 SoCon). Junior Macy Hitchcock was named to the All-SoCon second team for singles after finishing undefeated in conference play at flight three.
The Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Championship begins Thursday in Chattanooga, where top-seeded Furman will face Western Carolina at 8:30 a.m., aiming to extend its lead over Western Carolina after defeating them earlier this season.
