RUSTON – Louisiana Tech tennis head coach
Amanda Stone added to her recruiting class on Friday, announcing the signing of three international players.
Inking National Letters of Intent to join the LA Tech Tennis program are Lara Unkovich (Australia), Madalena Amil (Portugal) and Ana Rodrigues (Brazil). The trio joins Leonie Schuknecht (Germany) and Anastasiia Salenko (Ukraine) who have previously signed.
"I could not be more excited by our incoming class," said Stone. "All of our newest Lady Techsters are proven winners and will come in and compete right away. Along with Leonie and Anastasiia who we signed in the winter, this is one of the biggest classes I've brought in. We have some big shoes to fill, but I feel really good about this class stepping up and joining our returners to keep elevating the program."
Lara Unkovich is a 5-foot-5-inch right-hander from Sydney, Australia. She competed in one singles final and two doubles finals on the Australian Circuit in 2019, coming at the Tennis Macarthur Open and Tasmanian Easter Championships.
Having earned a career-high Australian ranking of 152, she is a two-time bronze medalist in the Combined High Schools Floris Conway Cup and is a four-time recipient of the NSW High School Sports Blues Award at Mosman High School, the highest sporting honor in the state of New South Wales.
"Lara is an all-court player who has a lot of grit and tenacity," said Stone. "She's a very smart player who can think on the court and is able to formulate a game plan. My favorite thing about Lara is she truly understands out program vision and believes she can help us get where we want to go."
"One of the many reasons why I decided to come to Louisiana Tech lies in its passionate and supportive community," said Unkovich. "I found myself incredibly drawn to not only the strength of their degree selection, but its vibrant and welcoming student atmosphere. Most importantly, the tenacity and ambition of LA Tech's tennis program is undeniable and presents such an exciting opportunity for me to pursue tennis at a collegiate level while completing my chosen degree."
Madalena Amil is a 5-foot-2-inch right-hander from Matosinhos, Portugal. She is a two-time doubles runner-up at the Tennis Europe U16 and a singles runner-up in the national championship in 2018 as well as a Sanxenxo winner in the national U18 championship.
She is the No. 1-ranked National U18 player in Portugal and is ranked No. 3 in the National Women's rankings.
"Madalena is a quick, aggressive player who knows how to complete," said Stone. "She's a hard worker on and off the court and has the fitness and consistency to wear opponents down. I love that she's crazy about tennis and you can see that when she plays."
"I chose Louisiana Tech because the University seems amazing and it will be a unique opportunity for me as a student to have a high education while playing tennis at a high level," said Amil.
Ana Rodrigues is a 5-foot-9-inch right-hander from Montes Claros, Brazil. In singles, she is a 12-time state champion and a nine-time national champion and was once crowned the South America champion. She has had just as much success in doubles, being a three-time South America champion and four-time national champion while attaining a career-high 354 ITF ranking in both singles and doubles.
"Ana is a tall, strong and athletic player with an aggressive game," said Stone. "She has weapons and can attack the court and finish at the net. She's the highest incoming UTR rating we have signed and we will look to her to step into those top spots in the lineup in both singles and doubles."
"LA Tech fits exactly what I look for within a University," said Rodrigues. "The location is excellent. For me, the climate was important in my choice and the climate is very similar to that of my city. The academics are very good and the tennis level too."
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