TEMPE, Ariz. – Three Gonzaga women's tennis players have been recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as ITA Scholar Athletes. Rising seniors
Sophie Whittle and
Graciela Rosas and rising junior
Kate Ketels were all named ITA Scholar Athletes for the first time in their careers.
Whittle finished the 2017-18 season ranked 56th in the Oracle/ITA Division I Women's National Singles poll after posting a team-best 22-5 overall record with a perfect 7-0 mark in West Coast Conference play. She was twice named the WCC Singles Player of the Week during the 2017-18 season, and she became the first Bulldog in history to play in the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships last fall. In doubles play, she partnered with Rosas, finishing with a 17-6 overall record and a 12-5 duals mark.
Rosas wrapped up her junior campaign with a 15-13 overall singles record with a 3-3 mark in WCC play. The Mexicali, Mexico native collected the Gonzaga Invite singles title after winning three matches in three days to post a tournament-best 78.3 win percentage. In doubles play, Rosas finished the 2017-18 season with a 22-5 overall record including a 7-2 mark in conference play, and she teamed up with Whittle to finish 12-5 in duals at the No. 1 doubles position. The duo cracked the top 30 in the ITA Rankings at No. 29 after posting five-straight doubles wins and defeating then-No. 28 Savannah Slaysman and Tereza Kolarova of Arizona State, 7-6 (3) on Feb. 4.
Rising junior Ketels also collected her first career ITA Scholar Athlete award after finishing the 2017-18 slate with an 18-6 overall singles record including a 10-3 duals mark and a perfect 3-0 mark in WCC play. Ketels was the deciding match in Gonzaga's 4-3 win over Harvard on March 14, defeating Neha Gupta 6-3, 7-5 at No. 6 singles to clinch the win. In doubles play, Ketels posted a 9-7 overall record with a 7-3 tournament record.
In conjunction with their performance on the court, Ketels, Rosas and Whittle each performed in the classroom as well. Ketels finished with a 3.86 GPA while Rosas posted a 3.78 and Whittle finished with a 3.50. Both Ketels and Rosas are pursuing degrees in sport management while Whittle is working toward a degree in kinesiology and physical education.
In order to earn ITA Scholar Athlete status a player must meet the following criteria: 1.) be a varsity letter winner, 2.) have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year, and 3.) have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters (including freshman through senior year).
