Stephenson Secures Two Standouts for Class of 2015
November 18, 2014 | Women's Tennis
SEATTLE - In her first recruiting class for the University of Washington women's tennis team, head coach Robin Stephenson wasted no time in securing two outstanding players for the Huskies as Tami Grende and Kenadi Hance have signed NLI's to compete for Washington starting in the fall of 2015.
“We are very excited about the signing of both Tami and Kenadi for next season,” said Stephenson. “They both bring a tremendous amount of experience and success at a high level. Additionally, they're first rate individuals that possess the characteristics that we look for in our student-athletes and they will make an immediate impact both on and off the courts.
Grende comes from Bali, Indonesia and is one of the most accomplished junior players in the world. In 2014 Tami won the Junior Wimbledon Doubles Championship, the Junior Canadian Open Doubles Championship, and the Grade 1 ITF Singles Title in Sarawak, Malaysia where she defeated the no. 1 junior player in the world (Shilin Xu) in the finals. Tami also competed in the Junior U.S. Open this summer reaching the quarterfinals in doubles and the Round of 32 in singles defeating the number 31 player in the world, Sophia Kenin, along the way. Additionally, she has also competed for Indonesia in Fed Cup play and has been ranked as high as no. 41 in the ITF Junior world rankings.
“Tami is a huge addition to our program,” added Stephenson. “She brings with her a wealth of international playing experience and knows how to win on big stages. She's proven that she knows what it takes to be successful and has a lot of potential and room for improvement. We're looking forward to having her join the Husky family and help take our program to the next level.”
Kenadi Hance, out of Torrance, Calif., is a five-time USTA National Champion and holds claim to five Gold Balls, one Silver Ball, and one Bronze Ball. Her most recent Gold Ball came this summer when she won the USTA G18's National Clay Court Doubles Title. Hance was ranked no. 1 nationally in the 12 and 14 age groups and has been as high as seventh nationally on the Tennis Recruiting List for the class of 2015. She's claimed the USTA G12's National Hard-Court Singles and Doubles Titles as well as the USTA G12's Clay-Court Doubles Title while also representing the United States for the Le Blanc Cup, Les Petits As, and the Nike Jr. Tour.
“We are very excited about the signing of Kenadi,” said Stephenson. “She is hungry to get better, be the best she can be and help take the UW program to new heights. She has a very strong work ethic and knows what it takes to be successful.”
