ITA Scholar-Athletes
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's tennis team had its outstanding work in the classroom during the 2024-25 academic year recognized Tuesday when the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released its annual academic awards.
In addition to the program earning ITA All-Academic Team honors, seven members of The Rock's roster also received ITA Scholar-Athlete accolades.
To be eligible to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete honors a student-athlete must be a varsity letter winner and have a GPA of at least 3.50.
Jane Coulter,
Marika Kempinski,
Nicole Kempton,
Alissia Kivi,
Georgie Lancaster,
Dari Sakhanova and
Tina Slovak all earned ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition. Kempton, Lancaster, Sakhanova and Slovak were also named to the College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District Team earlier in the offseason with Kempton going on to earn CSC Academic All-America accolades.
Three of The Rock's ITA Scholar-Athletes – Kempton, Kivi and Slovak - also earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division honors for their performances on the court in 2024-25. Kivi was tabbed the PSAC West and Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year.
Slippery Rock had the sixth highest total amount of ITA Scholar-Athletes Across the 30-team Atlantic Region, which is comprised of teams competing in the PSAC, Mountain East Conference, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and one independent school. All told, 87.5 percent (7-of-8) of The Rock's 2024-25 roster earned recognition from the ITA Tuesday.
Only California (Pa.) (10), West Virginia Wesleyan (10), Salem (9), Bloomsburg (8) and East Stroudsburg (8) had larger representation on this year's ITA Scholar-Athlete Team than The Rock. Each of those programs carried more student-athletes on their respective rosters than SRU last season.
Slippery Rock was also one of 105 teams in NCAA Division II to earn the ITA's Team Academic Award with a PSAC-best cumulative GPA of 3.723. A cumulative team GPA of at least 3.20 is required to be eligible for the distinction. The SRU women's team has finished the year with a team GPA of at least 3.65 for eight consecutive seasons.
Successes in and out of the classroom, Slippery Rock concluded its season with a 15-10 overall record, including a 14-6 showing against fellow Division II competition. After making the finals of the PSAC Tournament and winning its section of the regional tournament, SRU advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Round of 16 for the first time since 2010.
The ITA is the governing body of college tennis, overseeing men's and women's varsity tennis at all levels – NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College.
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