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Jackson, Vickers Sweep Tennis Player Of Week Honors
4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 17, 2012
IRVING, Texas - Tulsa swept the Conference USA Tennis Athlete of the Week honors, the league announced today.
Junior Tristan Jackson picked up his second-career men's athlete of the week laurel, while sophomore Samantha Vickers won the women's honor for the third time this season and the second time in the last three weeks.
This is the second time this season the Golden Hurricane has swept the weekly honors. Seniors Anastasia Erofeeva and Ashley Watling both won the award Jan. 31.
Jackson led the men to victories over No. 28 Baylor, No. 44 Rice and Tulane last week, and he posted a perfect 6-0 mark over the three matches.
He won singles matches against Baylor's Robert Verzaal at the sixth position, 7-5, 6-1, Rice's Peter Frank at No. 5, 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, and Tulane's Adam Bernstein at the four slot, 7-5, 6-0.
Jackson is currently on a career-best 10-match win streak in singles. He also teamed with fellow junior Grant Ive to post three doubles victories at the No. 2 slot by a combined score of 24-10, as TU won the doubles point in all three matches. Jackson and Ive have won their last four matches together.
Jackson also won the award on Feb. 14, and Tulsa has taken eight of the 13 honors handed out this season. Watling (Jan. 31, Feb. 7, April 10) and juniors Clifford Marsland (Feb. 21, Feb. 28) and Grant Ive (March 27) have all won the award this season. No other school has won the award more than once this year.
Vickers led the women to victories over No. 43 Arkansas and No. 56 Memphis last week. She concluded the two-match week with an individual record of 2-0 at both No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles.
She topped Emily Carbone of Arkansas 6-3, 6-2, and then defeated No. 80 Mariya Slupska of Memphis 6-2, 6-2. She also teamed with senior Bonny Davidson to help the Golden Hurricane win the doubles point in both matches.
Vickers is on a nine-match win streak in singles and has posted a 20-2 record this spring.
She is ranked No. 67 in the nation in singles, and her and Davidson have won five of their last six doubles matches.
Tulsa has collected 14 of the 26 total athletes of the week awards this season. Rice is the next closest with just four.
The men have earned eight accolades while the women have tallied six. Vickers has also won the award on Jan. 24 and April 3, while Erofeeva has captured the honor on Jan. 31, March 13 and March 20.
The Golden Hurricane will be the top seed in the men's and women's championships, which both begin April 19.
C-USA MEN'S TENNIS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK (April 17)
Tulsa junior Tristan Jackson - Perth, Australia
C-USA WOMEN'S TENNIS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK (April 17)
Tulsa sophomore Samantha Vickers - Lincolnshire, England
