Sullivan named preseason First Team All-SAC, Gonzalez listed as Player to Watch
Carson-Newman senior guard Jennifer Sullivan was named to the South Atlantic Conference’s preseason first-team, the league announced on Thursday morning.
VIDEO: Jennifer Sullivan Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman senior guard Jennifer Sullivan was named to the South Atlantic Conference's preseason first-team, the league announced on Thursday morning.
The Lady Eagles have placed at least one player on the preseason All-SAC first team for the 11th consecutive season.
Emily Gonzalez was named as a Player to Watch for the upcoming season.
Sullivan's preseason honor is earned after being a first-team All-SAC player this past season and winning the conference's newcomer of the year award, C-N's first in program history.
"It was super easy to transition," Sullivan said. "The girls and the coaches were awesome. They really just let me go out there and do my thing. That allowed me to feel comfortable pretty quickly."
The Knoxville native led C-N in scoring, averaging 13.8 points per game while making 43 percent of her three-pointers, one of the most efficient marks in DII. She scored double figures in 23 of C-N's 32 games. Her best scoring game of the year came on Jan 15, pouring in 29 points on 11 made baskets in a 32-point win over UVA Wise. She scored 20 points or more in seven games, including four times in her first six games as a Lady Eagle.
Sullivan buried three or more three-pointers 12 times, highlighted by a six for eight shooting day from deep in a 20-point win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Nov 16. Overall, she shot 50 percent or better 11 times and did so from long range as well. The senior guard recorded her first career double-double versus Wingate on Jan 19, scoring 17 points and dishing out 10 assists in a 36-point win. She became the first Lady Eagle to record a double-double with points and assists since Mika Wester's 18 points and 11 assists in a regional semifinal win over Lander in 2018.
Gonzalez stepped into more of a starting role in her junior year and as a result, doubled her minutes per game from the previous year. She started 23 games and scored 6.4 points per game on 41 percent shooting in 21 minutes per game. The Lenoir City native scored in double figures four times, highlighted by a career-high 16 points at Emory & Henry on Nov. 26.
The senior guard was an exceptional defender and passer for C-N in 2024-25. Her 55 steals were second-most on the team and had 10 games with at least three takeaways. She started the year with a steal in 16 straight games. As a passer, she dished out 86 assists and posted a 2.0 assist to turnover ratio. Gonzalez recorded three or more assists in 14 games as a junior.
Carson-Newman begins the season with the SAC/Peach Belt Challenge on November 15th versus Lander at 6:00 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 5:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mix 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
