Akli, Hamner Named to All-SEC First Team

Columbia, S.C. – ­South Carolina women’s tennis student-athletes Ayana Akli and Sarah Hamner have both been named to the All-SEC First Team as announced by the league office on Wednesday.

Through the regular season, Akli amassed a 24-10 singles record with an 11-6 mark in dual play and 6-4 record against SEC opponents, all from the top of the lineup. She claimed 12 ranked wins with her highest over then-No. 12 Celia-Belle Mohr of Vanderbilt in straight sets.

In doubles, Akli posted a 17-10 regular season record with an 11-6 mark in dual play, winning six of her matches against SEC opponents. She tallied six ranked doubles victories this season with her highest over then-No. 8 Aysegul Mert and Dasha Vidmanova of Georgia.

In the ITA Rankings, Akli has been as high as No. 3 in the nation in singles and No. 10 in doubles. In the fall, she advanced to the semifinals of the ITA All-American Championships and finished the fall as the singles runner-up at the ITA Fall National Championships.

Hamner led the team through the regular season with a 30-6 overall singles record and 17-1 mark in dual play. She posted the best single-season SEC record in program history thanks to her 10-1 mark against SEC opponents, all from the No. 2 spot in the lineup. This season, she has 16 ranked wins with her highest over then-No. 9 Carol Lee of Georgia Tech in straight sets.

In doubles, she went 17-13 overall with an 11-6 mark in dual play with six SEC wins. She had five ranked doubles victories and was teamed with Akli for her highest ranked win this season against then-No. 8 Mert and Vidnamova.

In the ITA Rankings, she ranked as high as No. 4 in singles and No. 10 in doubles. This fall she also advanced to the semifinals of the ITA All-American Championships and the quarterfinals of the ITA Fall National Championships.

The years honor marks the third consecutive season that Akli has been named to the All-SEC First Team (2022, 2023, 2024). She was also twice named to the All-Big Ten Team while at Maryland (2020, 2021). It is also the third consecutive season of Hamner receiving the honor (2022, 2023, 2024). She has earned the accolade all three years of her collegiate career thus far.

Akli, Hamner, and the Gamecocks currently await the NCAA Selection Show that will air on Monday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. to determine their fate for the remainder of the season.

For all the latest South Carolina women’s tennis information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockWTennis).