Women's Tennis Sends Two Players to the ITA All-American Championships

Utah State [University] women’s tennis is sending senior McKenzie Davis and junior Kallie Sperry to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championship. The two Aggies are the first Utah State women’s tennis players to compete in the prestigious tournament which started Tuesday, Sept. 30, in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

“I am very happy that both McKenzie and Kallie have been selected to compete in the All-Americans,” said USU head coach Sean McInerney. “They had a tremendous season last year and I am happy that they are getting this opportunity to compete against the best players in the country. It is a proud moment not only for them as individuals but the entire Utah State Tennis program.”

Davis, a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, will compete in the singles portion of the tournament, while Davis will team up with Sperry, a fellow Salt Lake City, Utah, native, for the doubles tournament. Davis is a qualifying player in singles, while the doubles tandem is part of the main draw.

The qualifying rounds are comprised of a singles draw of 64 and a doubles draw of 32. Just as with pre-qualifying, a singles player or doubles tandem must win three consecutive matches to advance into the main draw. Eight spots in the main draw are reserved for singles qualifiers, while the doubles main draw imports four teams from qualifying.

Main draw singles semifinalists, main draw doubles finalists and main draw consolation champions will receive automatic entry into the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, Nov. 6-9 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York.

The 2014 singles field is exceptionally strong. The 2013 champion, sophomore Jamie Loeb of North Carolina, is back, as are two former finalists: senior Robin Anderson of UCLA, who was Loeb’s counterpart in the 2013 final, and junior Julia Elbaba of Virginia, who reached the final in 2012. Loeb and Anderson are ranked first and second in the 2014 ITA Division I Women’s Preseason Singles Rankings, while Elbaba is not far behind, ranking fifth.

Davis and Sperry will join student-athletes from New Mexico, Fresno State and San José State as the only four teams from the Mountain West included in the field. Utah and BYU join Utah State as representatives from the Beehive State.

The ITA Women’s All-American Championships were first inaugurated in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and have been hosted by the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, California, since 1986. Now, thirty-one years since the inaugural tournament, the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships continue to bring together the finest returning singles and doubles competitors from the previous season with the cream of the crop of the incoming freshman class for a fantastic week of tennis.

Fans can follow Utah State Athletics, including both USU tennis teams, on Twitter or on Facebook. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics or on Instagram.

Additional Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics website.