Lillie Murphy Named 2026 SoCon Women’s Tennis Player of the Year

Lillie Murphy of Furman University has been named the 2026 Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, the league announced on April 15, 2026.

Murphy, a first-year player from Knoxville, Tennessee, is the first Furman athlete to earn the Player of the Year title since 2022 and represents the 15th SoCon Freshman of the Year selection in the program’s history.

Individual Performance and Statistics

The freshman concluded the regular season with a 15-3 record in singles play. This includes a perfect 3-0 record when playing at the No. 1 spot, while her remaining singles matches were played in flight two.

In doubles competition, Murphy posted a 13-2 overall record. This total includes an 11-0 mark alongside teammate Elle Warren.

Murphy entered the SoCon Women’s Tennis Championship having won 12 consecutive singles matches. Her regular season performance earned her first-team all-conference recognition in both singles and doubles.

Throughout the season, Murphy was named the SoCon Player of the Week four times. Her final weekly honor came on April 7, 2026, following a 4-0 run across singles and doubles play from March 31 to April 6, 2026.

During that period, Murphy and Warren secured a 6-2 doubles win over Wofford on March 31, followed by Murphy winning 6-1, 6-1 in singles. On April 3, 2026, Murphy won her topflight singles match 7-6 (7-2), 7-5, and again teamed with Warren for a 6-2 doubles victory against Chattanooga.

Team Success and Coaching

Furman head coach Michelle Dasso was named the 2026 SoCon Coach of the Year, marking her first time receiving the recognition.

Under Dasso’s leadership, the Paladins finished the regular season with a 15-4 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark in Southern Conference play.

Furman secured the No. 1 seed for the SoCon tournament following a 6-1 victory over ETSU on April 11, 2026.

The Paladins’ roster saw significant postseason recognition, including three first-team all-conference selections, one second-team pick, and two all-freshman recognitions.

Additional Conference Honors

Alongside Murphy, Furman’s freshman Elle Warren and junior Macy Hitchcock were named members of the All-SoCon team.

Axelle Van Beurden of Western Carolina was awarded the Sportsmanship Award, becoming the fifth player from Western Carolina to receive the honor.

Cedeno of UNC Greensboro earned All-SoCon recognition.

The postseason awards were determined by balloting from the league’s eight head coaches, who were prohibited from voting for their own student-athletes.