Feb. 1, 2011
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s tennis program has inked three five-star recruits to National Letters of Intent, according to TennisRecruiting.net. Ellen Silver of Grand Rapids, Mich., Shelby Talcott of Long Island, N.Y., and Katie Zordani of Lake Forest, Ill., have all committed to join the Hawkeyes in the fall of 2011. The trio has been tabbed as the No.18 recruiting class in the country by TennisRecruting.net.
“We’re very excited about our 2011 class,” said Head Coach Katie Dougherty. “We’re replacing three players that have been fixtures in both our singles and doubles lineups. We are expecting these three players to come in and make an immediate impact.”
Silver is considered the second best player in Michigan and the 64th best player in the nation according to TennisRecruiting.net. Silver competed for East Grand Rapids High School as a freshman and sophomore. She was a two-time all-conference, all-regional and all-state selection. Silver led her team to a state championship as a sophomore, winning the singles state championship individually and finishing the season with an unblemished 28-0 record. She posted a 28-2 record as a freshman. Silver also has USTA and ITF experience as she was a finalist at the 2008 Kentucky International Junior Tennis Derby, a semi-finalist at 2009 Midwest Open Championship and 2010 Midwest Indoor Open and a quarter-finalist in doubles at 2010 USTA National Clay Court Championships.
“Ellen is an outstanding doubles player,” commented Dougherty. “She has a great work ethic. She is a natural leader and very athletic. We believe that she is only beginning to tap into her potential.”
Talcott is the No. 6 ranked player in the state of New York and the No. 74 ranked player in country, according to TennisRecruiting.net. Talcott was named team MVP as a freshman at Laurel Springs High School after finishing the season undefeated. Talcott has competed at USTA National events at both the G16 and G18 levels. At the G18 level, she was a singles finalist at the 2010 Labor Day Championships and a singles semifinalist at the 2009 Labor Day Championships and the 2008 ITF Digicel Junior International. While playing at the G16 level, Talcott won the singles and doubles brackets at the 2009 Burger King Southern Open. She also won the doubles bracket and advanced to the semifinals in singles at the 2009 National Open.
“Shelby has a big game and is a shot maker,” Dougherty noted. “She has proven herself at the National and International level in junior tennis. She is a proven winner and her mentality makes her a great fit for our program.”
Zordani has been tabbed as the No. 72 player in America and the No.7 player in Illinois according to TennisRecruiting.net. Zordani, who attends Lake Forest High School in the Chicago-area, led her team to the 2010 State Championship, finishing second in doubles and third in singles. Zordani has also consistently done well in national tournaments throughout her junior tennis career, as she has registered six wins over other juniors who are ranked inside the top 50.
“Katie is one of the top players in the Midwest Section and has proven herself at the National Level,” said Dougherty. “On the court she is a great competitor and has the weapons in her game to do damage in the Big Ten.”
Iowa is one of six teams in the Big Ten to have a top 25 recruiting class. Michigan (No. 2), Indiana (No. 6), Purdue (No. 8), Illinois (No. 9) and Ohio State (No. 25) were also included in TennisRecruiting.net’s national rankings.