Jan. 9, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Kate Murphy and Halley Jo Sullivan were honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and named to the College Women Scholar All-South Region team.

Murphy a junior defender was named to the NSCAA All-South third team. Murphy is majoring in international business with minors in political science and Spanish. She holds a cumulative grade point average of 4.0. Murphy has received numerous academic accolades this season including, the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® women's soccer first team, ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV team for the second straight year. She has been on the Dean's List since her first semester and was named to the Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll and earned the C-USA Academic Medal in 2006 and 2007, while also earning a spot on the C-USA All-Academic team. Murphy is the first U of M female to ever be named to the first team and only the second person in Memphis' history. She has started all 22 games for the Lady Tigers this season. She has two goals and six assists on her record and is a part of a Memphis squad that won the C-USA crown this season and made it all the way to the 2007 NCAA Championship.

Senior defender Sullivan, also a member of the 2007 championship team, received NSCAA All-South honorable mention nods. Sullivan is set to graduate in the spring with a degree in psychology. She currently has a cumulative grade point average of 3.74. She has been a member of the Tiger 3.0 Club and Dean's List every semester since the Fall of 2004, Tiger academic 30 from Fall 2005-Fall 2006 and Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. Sullivan is one of three Lady Tigers to start every match for Memphis this season. She was a strong figure in the backfield as she helped to lead a powerful Memphis defense.

Murphy and Sullivan are two of three women's soccer players to receive individual academic awards this year. The entire Memphis Lady Tigers soccer team earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award for their academic excellence for the fourth straight season.