Four Earn All-AAC Tennis and Rowland Tabbed Women's Coach of the Year

April 23, 2006

Wise, VA -- Four UVa-Wise tennis players earned All-Appalachian Athletic Conference honors and head coach Danny Rowland was tabbled AAC Women's Coach of the Year. Henning Kuich for the men and the trio of Davina Dishner, Autumn Lauzon and Laura King receiced the acclaim announced by the league.

Coach Rowland picked up the AAC Women's Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his time leading the Lady Cavs' program. Rowland led the women's squad to a 15-4 record and its first AAC championship since 2001 when the team defeated Tennessee Wesleyan, 5-4, last Saturday night to claim the crown. The team also clinched their third NAIA Region XII appearance for the third year in a row.

UVa-Wise will play host to the NAIA Region XII championships next weekend on Friday, April 28th and Saturday, April 29th at Humphries Courts. The Lady Cavs will face Indiana-Southeast while Union College plays Bethel (TN) College Friday in the women's first day.

The top three players of the women's lineup received All-AAC status. Dishner, a junior from Gate City, VA, played the top singles and doubles positions for the team. She was 7-6 in singles action and 11-6 in doubles. Lauzon, a sophomore, joined Dishner on both the all-conference team and and top doubles duo. Lauzon stands 11-4 at second singles. King, a junior out of Abingdon, VA, rounds out the honorees. The third singles player holds an 11-6 singles mark and 12-4 record at second doubles.

Henning Kuich was the lone UVa-Wise (3-11) men's player. The sophomore from Gate City, VA recorded a winning mark of 7-6 at the top singles position.

Five Highland Cavaliers qualified for the All-AAC Academic team. The All-AAC Academic squad is made of athletes who hold a 3.5 or higher GPA. Kuich and sophomore Derick Wood (Wise, VA) hold the high academic standard for the men while three women, Nicole Pilkenton (Jr., Norton, VA), Audra Fritz (So., Gate City, VA) and King met the qualfications for the women.

The final awards went to two Cavs' players as part of the All-AAC Sportsman Team. Henning Kuich and Laura King were selected for the Sportsman teams as the most supportive and good attitudes and sports on the courts.