Tingle and Saari earn USA South Player of the Week honors

Fayetteville, NC - The North Carolina Wesleyan Department of Athletics is pleased to announce that sophomore Mackenzie Tingle of volleyball and junior Antti Saari of men's tennis have earned USA South Player of the Week honors in their respective sports. Tingle led her Bishops to a
2-1 record this past week, while Saari went 4-1 in singles play at the ITA Regional Tournament. This is the first award of the season for both.

Volleyball Player of the Week
Mackenzie Tingle, a sophomore setter from Clearbrook, VA, averaged 6.4 assists, 2.1 digs and 0.9 kills per set last week for the Bishops. In a 3-0 loss to Randolph-Macon, Tingle recorded a team-high 12 assists with six digs, one kill and one block, and in a 3-0 win over USA South rival Averett, she totaled a match-high 18 assists with six kills, three digs and one block. Finally, in a 3-0 sweep of Ferrum, Tingle notched a double-double with a match-high 28 assists and ten digs. She also added one kill and one service ace in the win.

Men's Tennis Rookie of the Week
Antti Saari, a junior from Lahti, Finland, tallied a 4-1 singles record and a 0-1 doubles mark at the ITA Regional Tournament last week. In the "A" singles bracket of the tournament, Saari reached the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Dillon Pottish. In doubles action, Saari teamed with Alexey Rumyantsev as the top-ranked duo, but the tandem was upset in the opening round.

Congratulations to both athletes on their stellar performances!