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MARSHALL SPORTS
Tennis coaches honor Schmitt
SKILLMAN, N.J. -- Marshall University junior Kellie Schmitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was honored as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) East Regional Player-to-Watch, as announced by the ITA. The Thundering Herd's Schmitt was selected by the East Region Committee of coaches.
She is one of eight finalists for the National ITA Player-to-Watch award, which will be announced May 20 at the NCAA championships.
"This is a great accomplishment for Kellie to be recognized by coaches in the East Region," Marshall's head coach John Mercer said. "She is such a strong player with one more season left of eligibility."
The ITA Player-to-Watch goes to a player who has an outstanding season and is expected to perform at a high level the rest of her career. Also, the criterion includes a player's sportsmanship and character.
"It is a great honor to be recognized as a player to watch in the East Region," Schmitt said in a release.
Schmitt also garnered her second consecutive Conference USA Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team honors with an automatic bid into the 2008 NCAA Singles Competition as the 55th-ranked player. She stands as the No. 3 East Regional singles player with an impressive 22-3 spring season mark and 33-7 overall season record. Schmitt garnered three C-USA Player of the Week awards this spring and earned the 2007 October Player of the Month.
Schmitt and teammate Karolina Soor (Lindesberg, Sweden) stand as the top-ranked East Regional doubles team (28th in nation).
The Herd pair finished 19-3 in the spring and 28-9 overall with an automatic bid into the 2008 NCAA Doubles Competition. The duo earned All-Conference Doubles Team and Outstanding Doubles Team of the C-USA Championships honors.
In the community, Schmitt participated in Marshall's 2008 Sweetheart Clinic where she taught young children the game of tennis as well as taught junior high students tennis this fall through the Huntington Tennis Association.
