Embree and Will Named to 2010 USTA Summer Collegiate Tennis Team
Thursday, June 17, 2010 | Women's Tennis
The USTA announced today that the University of Florida's Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) and Allie Will (Boca Raton, Fla.) were two of 12 women's collegiate tennis players who have been named to the 2010 USTA Summer Collegiate Team, administered by the USTA and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
The USTA Summer Collegiate Team is an elite training program for the top American collegiate tennis players. The program began in 1996 and is funded by the USTA. It is designed to provide college players with valuable exposure to the USTA Pro Circuit in a team-oriented environment during the summer months.
In addition to competing on the USTA Pro Circuit, USTA Player Development will host two Pro Tour Transition camps - one for men, one for women - for the selected players.
Embree, who finished No. 8 in the final ITA Singles Ranking, became the first freshman in Southeastern Conference history to be voted SEC Player of the Year. Embree compiled an overall singles record of 32-6 and a team-high tying 37-7 doubles record. She was 20-3 in dual match singles action, with all coming at the No. 1 position, providing the clinching point seven times, the most recent coming in the NCAA Team Semifinals with a 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 victory. She also sported a 24-3 dual match doubles record. On the doubles court, Embree ranked in the final poll with three different teammates among the nation's best doubles teams.
Will, who earned All-America honors in singles and doubles, compiled a 48-5 overall singles record, the fourth most wins in a season in program history, including a 26-1 dual match mark. Will also compiled a 26-match winning streak during the year, a run that tied for the fourth-longest in program history. She was voted the 2010 SEC Freshman of the Year and finished the year ranked No. 11 in the final singles ranking and No. 4 on the doubles chart.
The women's camp will be conducted June 27-July 1 on hard courts in Boca Raton and coached by USTA National Coach Sarah Taylor.
The following players have been selected to this year's women's team:
Hilary Barte, Stanford (JR, Chatsworth, Calif.)
Lindsay Burdette, Stanford (SR, Jackson, Ga.)
Mallory Burdette, Stanford (FR, Jackson, Ga.)
Aeriel Ellis, Texas (FR, Hayward, Calif.)
Lauren Embree, Florida (FR, Marco Island, Fla.)
Irina Falconi, Georgia Tech (SO, Jupiter, Fla.)
Kristy Frilling, Notre Dame (SO, Sidney, Ohio)
McCall Jones, BYU (SO, Orange County, Calif.)
Danielle Lao, Southern California (FR, Arcadia, Calif.)
Maria Sanchez, Southern California (JR, Modesto, Calif.)
Caitlin Whoriskey, Tennessee (SR, East Sandwich, Mass.)
Allie Will, Florida (FR, Boca Raton, Fla.)
For the second consecutive year, each team will have two coaches. Jamea Jackson, Assistant Coach of Women's Tennis at Oklahoma State University and Julia Scaringe, former Gator letterwinner and Assistant Coach of Women's Tennis at Notre Dame, will coach the women's team.
The top six American players from the season-ending ITA national singles rankings are eligible for automatic selections. The remaining players on each team were selected by USTA Player Development staff in conjunction with USTA National Coaches, and current collegiate coaches.
The women's team includes five of the top seven American players from the final national singles rankings: Falconi, who finished No. 1 overall after winning the Riviera/ITA All-American singles title, Barte, Sanchez, Embree and Whoriskey. Embree was named ITA National Rookie of the Year while Whoriskey was named ITA Senior Player of the Year. Barte will make her third consecutive appearance on the team, while Falconi, Sanchez, Whoriskey and Lindsay Burdette will all join the team for the second straight year.
For the first time this fall, the USTA will serve as title sponsor and host of the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center's new indoor tennis facility.
The USTA will also serve as the title sponsor of the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships, the USTA/ITA National Collegiate Wheelchair Championships and 88 USTA/ITA Regional Tournaments. In all, close to 10,000 players from nearly 600 schools participate annually in the ITA Regional Championships, which encompass 24 host sites from the Division I level and 64 from the small college divisions nationwide.
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with 740,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 90-plus Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA philanthropic entity, USTA Serves, provides grants and scholarships and through tennis, helps underserved youth and people with disabilities to improve academics, build character and strive for excellence. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.
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