Auburn graduate DeWanna Bonner was named the 2010 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year on Thursday. She received 16 of 39 first-place votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters.
In 32 games this season for the Phoenix Mercury, Bonner averaged 12 points and 1.3 assists.
The guard-forward was drafted fifth overall by Phoenix in the 2009 WNBA Draft after being named the SEC Player of the Year and leading the SEC in scoring in the 2008-09 season.

Soccer squad heads to Milwaukee

With a 4-0 shutout already on its resume, the Auburn soccer team will look to build on its early season success as it heads to Milwaukee for the MKE Cup hosted by Marquette. Auburn will play host Marquette today at 7:30pm and then will face UW-Milwaukee on Sunday at 11 a.m., with all matches being played on Marquette’s Valley Fields.
Auburn, which is receiving votes in the NSCAA poll for the second straight week, heads to the tournament undefeated after opening the season with its blanking of Tennessee Tech. Marquette is 1-0-1 and ranked No. 23 by Soccer America after it defeated Idaho State, 5-0, and tied Ohio State, 1-1, during the opening weekend. UW-Milwaukee is 1-1-0 as it defeated Ohio State, 2-1, before being blanked at No. 4 Notre Dame, 3-0.

“These two teams are both outstanding soccer teams,” head coach Karen Hoppa said. “They both do really well in the national picture and they are both NCAA Tournament teams. Marquette, playing in the competitive Big East conference, made the tournament last year. They are well coached and are very organized. UWM dominates its conference (Horizon League) and they have one of the best forwards in the country in Sarah Hagen, who has scored 24 goals in each of the last two seasons. She will be a handful for our defense.”

Katy Frierson and Mary Coffed each had a goal and two assists in the win over Tennessee Tech. The Auburn midfield and defense limited Tennessee Tech to just one shot on the match as sophomore Amy Howard posted the sixth shutout of her career, needing to make just one save.

Auburn volleyball to open season
The 2010 Auburn volleyball season is set to kick off this weekend with the War Eagle Invitational at the Student Activities Center. The Tigers host the Troy Trojans, University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks and the Georgia Southern Eagles for the two-day tournament.

“We’re excited to get this season started,” head coach Wade Benson said. “The War Eagle Invite is set up to have solid competition for us and there are going to be teams that will press us this weekend.”

The Tigers open the tournament with a 7 p.m. match against Troy on Friday and follow by a noon match against UT Martin and a 7 p.m. match with Georgia Southern on
Saturday.

Georgia Southern and UT Martin start the tournament with a 5 p.m. match on Friday. Saturday has Georgia Southern and Troy facing off at 10 a.m. Troy and UT Martin will then battle at 5 p.m.

The Auburn volleyball team is in its 25th year as a program, while head coach Wade Benson is in his third season at the helm of the program. He is joined by assistants Jozsef Forman and Edgard da Gama e Silva.

The 2010 Auburn squad is comprised of five senior, three juniors, five sophomores, three red-shirt freshmen and six freshmen. The Tigers returns all but one starter from the 2009 season and looks to build on last year’s success to reach obtainable goals set at the start of the year.

“This team has progressed very well in the last couple of years and we’ll continue to progress if we work hard and get better every day,” Benson said. “We believe we have the talent and drive to win the West division in the conference and reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in Auburn history. We’re deep in numbers and we’re going to be strong.”

Barber falls in round of 32
TACOMA, Wash. — Sophomore Blayne Barber fell to UCLA’s Patrick Cantlay, 2-and-1, in the U.S. Amateur round of 32 on Wednesday at the Chambers Bay Golf Course in Tacoma, Wash.
Barber advanced to the round of 32 after defeating Oklahoma State’s Kevin Tway in Tuesday’s opening round of match play.

“It was a great week,” said Barber. “It was a great experience. I would have like to have gone farther into match play. Today was a little disappointing. I didn’t play as well as I would have liked. God has a plan. Everything happens for a reason. I hope to see the course again in 2015 when the U.S. Open is played here.

“Between now and the college season I plan on working hard, straightening out a few things in my game and getting ready for the Carpet Capital. I’m incredibly excited and looking forward to the start of the season.“

Cantlay went on to defeat Conner Arendall, 3-and-2, in the round of 16.