Category: Hall of Fame Feature

About five weeks from now, five inductees will formally be enshrined into the ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame with the Class of 2026 Ceremony and Reception set for Saturday, Oct. 10 in Williamsburg, Virginia. RSVP Today! | More on the Class of 2026 Jill Craybas, Louise Gengler Thomas, Laura Granville, Zuzana Lesenarova and Sheila McInerney round out the highly anticipated Class of 2026, joining the legendary players, coaches and contributors who came before them. As the excitement builds for the upcoming ceremony, continue reading below to hear from five previous inductees, who detail their emotions and excitement from their respective inductions. Class of 2024Louise Allen: “My family was there, my kids were there, a lot of my friends were there. It was a really, really special weekend. It was something I’ll never forget, to be honest. I still think about how I had people come to that event that I hadn’t seen in a long time, and for them to just take the time to do that was really special to me. The really meaningful people in my life were there and and just to have everybody there to celebrate that – it was just everything. It was done so well. If anybody’s not been through Williamsburg and seen the Hall of Fame at William & Mary, it’s just amazing. I was really just blown away by how beautiful everything was.” Shelley Keeler Whelan: “My gosh. It was incredible to get the call. I was so humbled and honored to be a part of such an incredible group of people and to be even considered for the Hall of Fame. I think it’s wonderful that the ITA really considers people from all aspects of of women’s tennis. It’s such an honor to be considered as a part of the the great people that have come before me. That was wonderful. It brought back a lot of memories and it was really exciting.” Class of 2022Diane Donnelly Stone: “I didn’t think that I could feel more honored or blown away by a Hall of Fame induction after my Northwestern one, but this was clearly the most unbelievable honor that I’ve ever had. It it was something that I did not see coming. Looking at the list of people that had been inducted before me, many of them were women that I had idolized as I was growing up. If anybody had ever told me back when I was a young tennis player that I would be inducted into that Hall of Fame with those women that had accomplished so many amazing things, I never, ever would have believed it. The way that the ITA Hall of Fame takes care of all the arrangements and really puts on a wonderful weekend for us out there at William & Mary, it was unbelievable. When I try to explain it to people, I don’t do it justice. It was, by far, the greatest honor I’ve had, and probably ever will have, for that matter. AnnaMaria Fernandez-Ruffels: “It was a really neat experience to be able to go over there and have the support of [former USC head coach] Dave Borelli, who is no longer with us. That was a really fun time for us. I don’t even know how to explain the gratitude that I felt. Tennis has been such a big part of my life, and USC as well, and it just felt like, wow, that’s nice that I’m getting some credit for the the good work that I did, the good results that I had at USC. It just felt really good to be remembered in that way. It was really, really nice. The whole ceremony, everything, it was just really, really nice.” Class of 2014Jeff Moore: “It was just such an honor. When you become a member of the Hall of Fame, you realize how many different types of people are involved; coaches, former players, administrators, and then you learn their stories from where they came from, how they accomplished what they did, listening to their talks. That’s what’s been a lot of fun to watch and to listen to those stories and to meet those people.” Interested in more conversations with Hall of Famers and college tennis legends? Visit the ITA History Library YouTube channel!

Louise Gengler Thomas’ involvement with the ITA extends back to its earliest days, when then-CEO David A Benjamin understood the only way to move forward as an organization was to incorporate the women’s collegiate game alongside the men’s. In doing so, he called on Gengler Thomas, his Princeton counterpart viewed by many as a pioneer herself and a champion of women’s collegiate tennis, to serve on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Women’s Operating Committee. “There’s no reason it couldn’t have just stayed as only a men’s organization,” she said, “but they were expanding … The first thing David said is, ‘This should be men and women.’ He’s the one that pulled me in. He could’ve gone to a high-powered California coach, or a high-powered Florida coach.” At that juncture, a large chunk of the Association’s responsibilities was handling year-end rankings for the Division I men and women. It was hungry for an increased role and further development within the sport. Benjamin valued the professionalism and insight that Gengler Thomas provided, knowing she’d be an ideal conduit to further incorporating colleges and programs beyond the Division I game. “At the time, the [ITA Board of Directors] was polarized and had very strong personalities. He kind of made the decision that I was seen as neutral.” Her voice proved to be just what the ITA needed. For the next 23 years, Gengler Thomas was involved in various committees, groups and projects within the organization, helping the women’s game grow and develop into what it is today. As head coach of Princeton women’s tennis, Gengler Thomas’ workday never slowed even after leaving the tennis courts each night. Quiet moments or slower periods throughout the season allowed her to shift focus back to the ITA, such as preparing for a speech at the annual Coaches Convention or finding ways to continue modernizing the sport. It was a selfless act that stretched for more than two decades. The betterment of women’s tennis was always among her highest priorities. “I’m a little bit taken aback to get so much recognition as a player and coach,” she admits. “There was a transition time bringing on the women, and I’m pleased to have played a part in that.” Gengler Thomas At A GlanceSpent 25 Seasons as Head Coach of Princeton Women’s TennisLed the Tigers to seven Ivy League Championship titles and more than 300 WinsLongest-tenured Women’s Coach in Princeton Athletics HistoryTwo-Time ITA East Region Coach of the YearServed on the ITA’s Board of Directors & Women’s Operating CommitteePlayed three sports at Princeton in the 1970s (Tennis, Ice Hockey, Field Hockey)

Even then, Zuzana Lesenarova knew she was on the precipice of making history. Her game was in a place it had never been before. Her mind was at ease. Everything flowed as it meant to. The 1999 collegiate tennis season solely belonged to the University of San Diego’s Lesenarova. “I was in a really good place,” the Prague native Lesenarova says, reflecting on her storied 1999 season. “I believed I could win, and it’s not like I would be walking on the court like, ‘Yeah, I’m great.’ No, but it was just that good internal self-confidence … Even back then, I realized that year was special for me.” The season culminated with the prized NCAA Singles Championship title, the first in San Diego team history and a feat no Torero has accomplished since. Lesenarova grinded through that tournament, as her final four matches extended into the third set. In the final, Lesenarova toppled Stanford’s Marissa Irvin, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6. “I remember the first thing I did after I won that tournament was call my dad and my mom,” she said. “That tournament, I was confident. I remember we had a changeover with Marissa in the final in the third set, and I was down, but I felt like I could win. I remember telling [assistant coach] Jun Hernandez, ‘I think I’m going to win this in a tiebreaker.’ And he was laughing, but I actually did.” Lesenarova called her shot, overcoming the talented Irvin in a tiebreaker to clinch the national championship. To this day, Lesenarova’s junior campaign remains among the most dominant stretches the sport has ever seen. In its entirety, her 1999 season included the NCAA Singles title, the National Clay Court Championship, the ITA Riviera All-American Championship, West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors and a spot on the Rolex Collegiate All-Star Team. Her 39 singles wins that season also notched the school’s single-season wins record. It was a remarkable, storybook run, one that is still met with plenty of emotion more than two decades later. “I was always saying how great [college tennis] was. What an experience for me. If anyone wants to go [play], they should go.” Zuzana Lesenarova’s 1999 NCAA Tournament ResultsFirst Round – No. 1 Zuzana Lesenarova def. Ana Fernandez (Marquette), 7-6, 6-3Second Round – No. 1 Zuzana Lesenarova def. Janet Bergman (Wake Forest), 6-3, 7-5Round of 16 – No. 1 Zuzana Lesenarova def. Lioudmila Skavronskai (Miami), 6-2, 1-6, 6-0Quarterfinals – No. 1 Zuzana Lesenarova def. Katarina Valkyova (San Diego), 5-7, 6-2, 6-3Semifinals – No. 1 Zuzana Lesenarova def. Ditta Huber (USC), 6-1, 3-6, 6-0Finals – No. 1 Zuzana Lesenarova def. Marissa Irvin (Stanford), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 To celebrate Lesenarova and the Class of 2026, click here to register for the ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Induction Ceremony & Dinner.

The conversation centered around Sheila McInerney, a budding coaching star in her mid-20s coming off a brief playing career on the professional tour. At the time, McInerney, a former standout athlete at Southern California, had just completed her first year as an assistant coach under David Borelli at her alma mater. Her knowledge and passion for tennis drew the attention of those within the USC athletics department. Mona Plummer, then an associate athletic director at Arizona State, was seeking a new women’s tennis head coach following the retirement of Dr. Anne Pittman after the 1984 season after 30 years on the job. Plummer’s friend, Barbara Hedges, an associate athletic director at USC, was keen on McInerney’s potential. “When the [ASU] job opened up,” McInerney remembers, “Barbara might’ve called Mona and said, ‘Look, she’s young but, I think you oughta look at Sheila.’” The resume spoke for itself, despite a coaching career in its infancy. As a student-athlete at USC, McInerney was a four-time All-American who guided the Trojans to three national championship titles and was the national doubles runner-up three times. The Rome, New York, native was also a four-time recipient of the Trojan Spirit Award, as selected by her teammates. Following her decorated collegiate career, McInerney advanced to the professional tour, where peaked within the top-75 of the world rankings and played in three Grand Slam tournaments. Shortly after Hedges’ referral, McInerney found herself making the trek from Los Angeles to Tempe. A prior sit-down with Plummer sealed the deal. On August 16, 1984, McInerney was formally named the head coach of the Sun Devils – a position she’d hold for the next 40 years. “It was nerve-wracking at first,” McInerney admits. “At Arizona State, I didn’t have an assistant [in 1984]. I didn’t know a soul. Forty years later, I was still there, so it was pretty amazing.” Her nerves quickly subsided. “I loved every minute of it. What other profession can you get up in the morning, jump out of bed and put your sneakers and shorts and t-shirt on and go out and play tennis and be around young kids? It’s the old saying, it never felt like a job.” More than four decades later, college tennis remains central to McInerney’s life. Every major milestone, every life-altering moment, ties back to college tennis. “I just think the fact of loving the college experience I had is what made me really want to coach. It’s life-changing if you have a good experience, and I had a great one. My teammates are still my lifelong friends.” Sheila McInerney At A GlanceHead Coach of Arizona State Women’s Tennis For 40 SeasonsLed the Sun Devils to 589 career wins and 37 NCAA Tournament appearancesFinished each season in the Top-40 National RankingsGuided ASU to eight NCAA Quarterfinals and 18 Sweet SixteensSixth coach in ASU history to reach 500-plus career wins2016 ITA Meritorious Service Award Winner Served on ITA’s Board of Directors, Women’s Hall of Fame Committee and Chair of Women’s Operating CommitteeFour-time All-American as a student-athlete at USC, leading Trojans to three National Championships To celebrate McInerney and the Class of 2026, click here to register for the ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Induction Ceremony & Dinner.

Twenty-five years ago, Stanford’s Laura Granville made history. The second-year Stanford Cardinal cemented her status as one of the best student-athletes in the history of women’s college tennis with the 2001 NCAA Singles Championship, and in doing so, winning her second consecutive individual national championship. At the time, Granville was just the third women’s player to ever win back-to-back titles, joining Stanford’s Patty Fendick (1986-87) and Florida’s Lisa Raymond (1992-93). Since then, only Stanford’s Amber Liu (2003-04) and Nicole Gibbs (2012-13) have completed the feat, signaling the rarity and magnificence of it. “I was really proud of myself at the end of that because I was just very gritty,” Granville recently told the ITA. “I wasn’t necessarily playing my best tennis every match and had a number of very tough matches. I was able to just get through them and find a way to win. I’m very proud of that second NCAA title.” As a true freshman the year prior, Granville’s inexperience at the national tournament proved to work in her favor. “There was no pressure on me. It just felt like a dream run. I was probably playing some of the best tennis I had ever played and I wasn’t thinking too much. As a tennis player, it’s very rare that you’re kind of ‘in the zone,’ but I just felt very much like that the whole tournament.” Five of her six wins at the 2000 NCAA Championships came in straight sets. The third round proved to be her toughest test, when she met reigning champion in San Diego’s Zuzana Lesenarova — also a member of the ITA Women’s Collegiate Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Granville breezed through the opening set, 6-0, before the experienced Lesenarova rallied to win the second, 6-4, the only set she’d lose all tournament. Granville answered back with a decisive 6-3 win in the third to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals. “That was a battle,” Granville says, letting out a sigh. “I just remember being very nervous going into that match because I knew she had won it the year before and I knew what a good player she was. I think getting through that match really gave me so much confidence.” Both singles finals she played in were all-Stanford matchups. On May 26, 2000, the freshman Granville beat teammate Marissa Irvin (6-0, 6-4) to clinch her first national title. Exactly one year later, Granville was on top of the college tennis world once again, beating fellow Cardinal Lauren Kalvaria (6-3, 7-6). Granville also guided Stanford to the 2001 NCAA Team Championship title, as well, capping off one of the most decorated two-year runs in the sport’s history. In two collegiate seasons, Granville was a two-time singles champion, NCAA team champion, set an NCAA-record with 58 consecutive singles victories, earned back-to-back ITA Player of the Year honors and sported 93-3 record before turning to the professional tour after her sophomore year. “I had the best experience at Stanford. It was really difficult for me to leave after two years. I loved the atmosphere there, I loved my teammates, and I think most of all, I just loved college tennis. Looking back, it was probably the most happy I was playing tennis. That was just the best experience for me.” Laura Granville at the NCAA Singles Championships2000First Round – Granville def. Vladka Uhlirova (Texas), 6-2, 6-2Second Round – Granville def. Marissa Catlin (Georgia), 6-2, 6-0Third Round – Granville def. Zuzana Lesenarova (San Diego), 6-0, 4-6, 6-3Quarterfinal – Granville def. Jewel Peterson (USC), 6-1, 6-1Semifinal – Granville def. Aarthi Venkatesan (Georgia), 6-1, 6-0Final – Granville def. Marissa Irvin (Stanford), 6-0, 6-4 2001First Round – Granville def. Janet Bergman (Wake Forest), 6-3, 6-1Second Round – Granville def. Jessica Lehnhoff (Florida), 4-6, 7-6, 6-1Third Round – Granville def. Liesl Fichtbauer (Fresno State), 6-4, 7-5Quarterfinal – Granville def. Adria Engel (Arizona State), 6-4, 6-2Semifinal – Granville def. Michelle Dasso (Notre Dame), 6-2, 6-3Final – Granville def. Lauren Calvaria (Stanford), 6-3, 7-6 To register for the ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, visit here.

It was hot, and Jill Craybas was exhausted. Thirty years ago, in the 1996 NCAA Women’s Singles final against top-seeded Kylie Hunt (Kansas), Craybas was pushed to the brink as the two split sets under the relentless Tallahassee sun. Craybas, the tournament’s No. 4 seed representing her Florida Gators, dropped the opening set, 7-5, and rallied in the second, 6-3, to force a winner-take-all third set in the title match. Craybas caught her breath at the changeover, and Florida head coach Andy Brandi sensed her fatigue. “I just remember Andy walking on the court,” Craybas recently told the ITA. “We split sets and he was like, ‘You’ve got this. She is so tired.’ And I just looked at him and I was like, ‘Andy, I’m so tired. I’m so tired.’ But, he just gave that little boost.” It was enough of a boost to get by. Craybas prevailed in the third set, 6-3, to put the finishing touches on the singles title. She was, at last, the best women’s tennis player in the country. The clinching point still lives in her mind. “I had come in, and she hit this massive lob and I was like, ‘OK, I just have to make this overhead.’ I just let it bounce and then that was it. I kind of just fell back exhausted.” It capped a remarkable showing for the Gators while at Florida State, the host of the 1996 NCAA Championships, who had swept the team, singles and doubles championship titles. She became the third Gator in program history to win the singles crown, joining Shaun Stafford (1988) and Lisa Raymond (1992, 1993). She remains the last Florida women’s tennis player to do so. “It was a great moment,” Craybas said through a smile. “Details that I will never forget.” Jill Craybas’ 1996 NCAA Singles ChampionshipFirst Round — Craybas def. Patty Murren (Wake Forest), 6-0, 6-0Second Round — Craybas def. Gulberk Gultekin (UAB), 6-2, 6-3Round of 16 — Craybas def. Jennifer Hall (Notre Dame), 6-1, 6-1Quarterfinals — Craybas def. Vanessa Webb (Duke), 6-4, 7-6(3)Semifinals — Craybas def. Ania Bleszynski (Stanford), 6-2, 6-3Finals — Craybas def. Kylie Hunt (Kansas), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 Craybas is one of five members of the ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2026 that will be inducted on Oct. 10, 2026 in Williamsburg, Virginia. RSVP Today!

TEMPE, Ariz. – For much of the 1980s, a pair of former Stanford Cardinal found themselves at the center of the professional tennis world. Barbara and Kathy Jordan, who starred at Stanford in the late 1970s while competing in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), parlayed their college dominance into terrific professional careers. From 1980-86, Kathy racked up seven Grand Slam titles, three of which came at Wimbledon, while Barbara won the French Open singles title in 1979 and the mixed doubles title in 1983. The story of the trailblazing Jordan Sisters is intertwined with the rich history of the Wimbledon Championships, held annually at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in London, England. Kathy was victorious on three occasions at Wimbledon, winning a pair of doubles titles with partners Anne Smith (1980) and Elizabeth Smylie (1985) plus a mixed doubles crown with Ken Flach (1986). Jordan and Smith were a consistent force in London, as the two made three additional appearances in the women’s doubles finals from 1981-84. More on the ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame Kathy, who collected victories over players like Chris Evert, Pam Shriver, Tracy Austin and other elite talents, peaked as high as No. 5 in the WTA World Rankings in 1984. After upsetting the second-seeded Evert in the third round of the 1983 Wimbledon tournament, Kathy told The New York Times, “I knew I was playing well, and I felt determined. I felt even if I was going to lose, I would do well … I mostly came to the realization that if I could control my emotions and temperament, I could beat anybody.” Barbara played in the women’s singles draw in five Wimbledon tournaments, reaching the Round of 32 twice (1980 and 1983). In 1979, she became the only American woman during the 1970s to win the Australian Open singles title, defeating Sharon Walsh in straight sets in the title match (6-3, 6-3). The Jordan sisters were stalwarts in the collegiate game in the late 1970s. In addition to Stanford winning the team national championship title in 1978, the Jordans were also the AIAW national doubles champions that spring. The Cardinal bested the USC Trojans in the team final, 5-4, and the Jordans toppled two-time defending champions – and Stanford teammates – Susie Hagey and Diane Morrison for the doubles title. Kathy was also the 1979 AIAW singles and doubles champion. The pair was inducted into the ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004 alongside Barbara Scofield Davidson and Belmar Gunderson. The Jordan sisters have continued to serve the game following their decorated playing careers. Barbara joined the WTA Board of Directors and was later honored with the WTA’s Player Service Award. Kathy was the Secretary and Vice President of the WTA Board of Directors, implementing the association’s first drug-testing policy and enacting the first retirement plan for women’s professional players. She also earned the WTA’s Player Service Award.