May 13, 2008
 
Schmitt Earns ITA East Region Player-to-Watch Honor
ITA Accolade First for Schmitt and Thundering Herd Program
 
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
 
Skillman, NJ (HNN) – Marshall University junior Kellie Schmitt from 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.
 
“This is a great accomplishment for Kellie to be recognized by coaches in the East Region,” said Marshall’s head coach John Mercer. “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,” Marshall’s Schmitt added.
 
Schmitt will join Alice Sukner (2000-2004), Ashley Kroh (2001-2005), and Lille Nzudie (2001-2005) as ITA East Region award winners for Marshall. Sukner earned the 2004 ITA East Region Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship award, Kroh was selected as the 2005 ITA East Region Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship while Nzudie earned the 2005 ITA East Region Cissie Leary Award for Leadership.
 
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. Schmitt 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 with teammate Karolina Soor (Lindesberg, Sweden) stands as the 28th-ranked and the No. 1 East Regional doubles team. 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.
 
Schmitt is one of eight finalists for the National ITA Player-to-Watch honor to be announced May 20, at www.itatennis.com and at the NCAA championships.
 
“We look forward to competing next week at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Competitions,” Coach Mercer continued.
 
Other regional winners include: Southeast-Sanaz Marand (University of North Carolina), South-Fani Chifchieva (Auburn University), Midwest-Maria Mosolova (Northwestern University), Central-Mallory Voelker (University of Denver), Southwest-Nina Munch-Soegaard (Texas Christian University), Northwest- Venise Chan (University of Washington), and West-Gabriela Niculescu (University of Southern California).
 
A complete list of the 2008 ITA Award Winners can be found at: http://www.itatennis.com/Awards/2008/2008_ITA_Award_Winners.htm