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Following a series of impressive performances at last week’s ITA National Team Indoor Championships, Caroline Brinson and Hannah King were named SEC Player of the Week and SEC Freshman of the Week, respectively, by the league office on Wednesday afternoon.
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Brinson, a native of New Orleans, La., posted an unblemished 4-0 record in singles play at the tournament with straight-set wins over Michigan’s Mira Ruder-Hook (6-0, 6-4), UCLA’s Kristin Wiley (6-0, 6-2), and California’s Cecilia Estlander (6-2, 6-4) as the Bulldogs embarked on an incredible run to the title match against North Carolina.
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The sophomore also secured Georgia’s only point in the finals showdown versus North Carolina with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 victory over Kate Vialle. She is currently riding a team-best nine match winning streak in singles and has not lost a dual match this season from courts five and six.
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Hannah King, a freshman from Dunwoody, Ga., clinched both of Georgia’s upset wins over No. 1 UCLA and No. 5 California with singles victories on court five against UCLA’s Terri Fleming (1-6, 6-4, 6-4) and California’s No. 30 ranked Karla Popovic (7-5, 6-3). She was also just points away from giving Georgia another team point in the final against North Carolina but saw her match go unfinished once the Tar Heels reached the four-point mark.
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For the season, King is 3-0 against nationally ranked opposition and has risen 52 spots to No. 39 in the national rankings after her stellar performances last week.
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Brinson and King are also double partners and have gone 7-1 this dual season on court three, with their only loss coming in Monday’s title defeat to North Carolina. Prior to that match, the duo had won six straight, including 6-2 and 6-1 wins over their UCLA and California opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
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King’s Freshman of the Week award marks the first time that a Georgia rookie has received the distinction this season, while Brinson’s SEC Player of the Week honor makes it three straight for the Bulldogs in that category after senior Lauren Herring won the award in the two weeks prior. It is the first SEC weekly honor of any type for either player.
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The two ladies will next be in action when Georgia faces in-state rival Georgia Tech at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on Feb. 21. Match time is currently scheduled for 4 p.m.