LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – In exclusive voting by the head coaches in the league, Zoe Kaffen of Trinity University has been selected the 2021 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Women’s Tennis Player-of-the-Year and first-year Cate Cushing, also of Trinity University, earned Newcomer-of-the-Year honors. Complete Release
In the same balloting, Billy Porter of Southwestern University was selected as SCAC Coach-of-the-Year.
Kaffen, a senior from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., is currently the No. 3-ranked player in the ITA West Region and went 7-7 in singles play this season, which included a 6-2 mark against Div. III opponents at the top singles line. She also holds a No. 5 regional ranking in doubles play with her partner and twin sister Mary. Kaffen also earned SCAC All-Tournament honors for the four-consecutive tournament with a 1-0 mark at this year’s championships. She is currently 49-29 in singles play and has posted over 55 doubles wins in her career. Kaffen is a two-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American in doubles, earning the honor after winning back-to-back ITA Regional Doubles Championships in the Fall of 2019 and 2020. Last week, Kaffen was one of 32 individuals selected to compete at the NCAA Singles Championship to be held at the end of the month. Kaffen's selection as SCAC Women’s Tennis Player-of-the-Year marks a record 13th time a Trinity student-athlete has earned the league’s top honor.
The voting for Player-of-the-Year was very tight as Kaffen edged out Southwestern University’s Nina Mitrofanova by one first-place vote, 4-3.
Cushing, a first-year from Colleyville, Texas, had an impressive inaugural campaign for the Tigers, posting an 8-6 singles record with the majority of her matches coming at the No. 3 singles line. She charted a perfect 3-0 record at No. 2 singles and an outstanding 7-1 mark overall in singles action against Div. III opponents. Cushing is half of the currently ranked No. 2 doubles team in the ITA West Region with her partner Megan Flores. Cushing and Flores sported an 11-5 doubles record this season, playing the top line for the last two months of the season for the Tigers. The duo finished the year with six consecutive victories and held a 9-1 record against Division III opponents in 2021 and were one of 16 teams selected to compete at the NCAA Doubles Championship to be held later this month in Tennessee. Cushing is the second Trinity Tiger to earn SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year honors, joining Hailey Feuer who took home the accolade back in 2019.
Cushing was the top choice on four ballots for Newcomer-of-the-Year with Southwestern’s Sydney Wahl finishing a close second after receiving the remaining three first-place votes.
In his eighth season at the helm, Porter led the Southwestern women’s team to the program’s first-ever SCAC tournament championship, posting a 5-4 win over Trinity in the title match. The Pirates, who received the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by winning the conference title, are now 17-4 and headed to the quarterfinal round of the championship. The Pirates secured impressive opening weekend victories against Millsaps (5-0) and Washington (Mo.) (5-1) in the program’s first-ever NCAA appearance to advance to this weekend’s round of eight. The quarterfinal appearance by Southwestern marks the first SCAC team to advance into the quarterfinals since Sewanee made a run to the semifinals back in 2007. This marks the second time in Porter’s career he has been voted by his peers as SCAC Women’s Tennis Coach-of-the-Year, having also taken home the award back in 2016. To view the entire 2021 All-SCAC Women's Tennis Team, click here.
2021 SCAC Women’s Tennis Player-of-the-Year
Zoe Kaffen Trinity University Senior San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
2021 SCAC Women’s Tennis Newcomer-of-the-Year
Cate Cushing Trinity University First-Year Colleyville, Texas
2021 SCAC Women’s Tennis Coach-of-the-Year
Billy Porter Southwestern University 17-4 Overall Record / SCAC Tournament Champion
