University of Tennessee Athletics
SEC Names Hammond Player of the Week
January 25, 2017 | Women's Tennis
After helping lead Tennessee to a 4-0 start on the season, sophomore Sadie Hammond was named the SEC Player of the Week on Wednesday.
“It's such an honor to receive this award,” Hammond said. “It was a very special weekend with the team, coaches and fans. All credit goes to them because I couldn't have performed and focused the way I wanted to without them. I can't explain how much I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Hammond enjoyed a strong weekend, going 4-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles throughout the four matches. She also clinched UT’s match against Middle Tennessee as well as the doubles point against Chattanooga.
In Tennessee’s match against Wake Forest, Hammond picked up her first ranked win of the season, beating 33rd-ranked Kimmy Guerin, 6-4, 6-3, to help UT get a big win over the Demon Deacons. It also marked her fourth career win against an opponent ranked in the Top 40.
Hammond’s performance remained consistent throughout the entire weekend, as she won all four singles matches in straight sets.
“Just being nominated for SEC Player of the Week means you must have done something pretty impressive,” head coach Alison Ojeda said. “For the normal tennis fan, the award means winning on the tennis court. For me as a coach, this award means preparation. Sadie's level of focus, determination, and desire to succeed has grown drastically in the last few weeks, which is why I believe she was able to put together eight quality sets of tennis in a row.”
Last season, Hammond took home the SEC Player of the Week award once, while also being named second-team All-SEC and to the SEC All-Freshman team.
The Vols return to action next weekend, hosting Eastern Kentucky and Davidson at Goodfriend Tennis Center on Friday and then traveling to Atlanta to face Furman and Georgia Tech.
For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee women's tennis program, follow @Vol_WTennis on Twitter.
