WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAM SERVES ACADEMIC ACE

Posted on September 15, 2010

Cal U's women's tennis team does as well in the classroom as it does on the court.

For the seventh consecutive year, the team was recognized as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team.

Six players were honored as ITA Scholar-Athletes.  

Senior Nina Kowalski, a business administration major, earned ITA Scholar-Athlete status for the third straight year. In the Spring 2010 semester, the College Sports Information Directors of America also named her an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II selection.

Juniors Axelle Fernandez and Mariana Oliveria both repeated as ITA Scholar-Athletes. Sophomores Jutta Bornefield and Jade Pondicas, and first-year player Julia Cohen, also received the honor.

With six ITA Scholar-Athletes, the team matches the program record set in 2006-2007.

The ITA All-Academic Team award for 2009-2010 was given to programs that had a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.20 or higher on a 4.00 scale.

To earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status, an individual player must be a varsity letter winner, have a GPA of at least 3.50 for the current academic year, and have been enrolled at his or her current school for at least two semesters.

Under the guidance of ninth-year head coach Pablo Montana (165-49), the women's tennis team has won four consecutive PSAC and NCAA Regional championships.