Transferred to Vanderbilt from Southern California during the summer of 2014. Eligible to compete immediately.
Honors
2016 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll
2015 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll
Career at Vanderbilt: 24-15
Combined Career: 51-26
2015-16 (Senior): Named to the 2016 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll… Went on a six-match doubles winning streak, going 5-0 to begin the dual season… ITA Ohio Valley doubles quarterfinalist… Went undefeated with Summer Dvorak at the Miami Fall Invite… Established a 12-9 overall singles slate… Competed in two SEC matchups against Missouri and Florida on court six in singles… Picked up three dual match wins over players from Virginia, Northwestern and Baylor… Defeated Georgia Tech’s Rasheeda McAdoo to begin the season in straight sets, who ended the season ranked No. 77 in the nation… Defeated two conference foes during the fall; UK’s Lewis and Ole Miss’ Zalina Khairudinova.
2014-15 (Junior): Compiled a 12-6 overall singles rankings, going on two four-match win streaks… Made it to quarterfinals of the 2014 USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regionals… Won her flight final at the Furman Fall Classic over South Carolina’s Alex Martin, 6-4, 6-1… Made her dual singles debut against SEC opponent, Missouri… Went 3-3 in fall doubles action… defeated UGA’s Laura Patterson and Carolina Brinson, 8-5, alongside Marie Casares… Came out victorious over Ole Miss’s Hartono/El Mamash, 8-6… Delivered Princeton’s Goodwin/Joyce a 6-4 loss… did not play doubles in dual season.
Career at Southern California
2013-14 (Sophomore): Went 9-7 overall in singles… Finished 2-2 at the No. 6 singles position and 1-0 at No. 5 singles… Went 3-2 in doubles.
2012-13 (Freshman): Yates was named Pac-12 Player of the Week on March 5… Reached the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Invitational Singles Tournament… Went 18-4 overall in singles, going 14-2 in dual matches… Played primarily at the No. 6 position, going 11-2 there… Also played at No. 5 (3-0)… Went 8-1 overall in doubles, going 7-0 in dual matches… Was 6-1 with Giuliana Olmos, going 5-0 in dual matches… Also paired with Valeria Pulido (1-0, 1-0) and Zoë Scandalis (1-0, 1-0).
High School: Yates is a 2012 graduate of Jackson Academy in Jackson, Miss…. Named the 2010 and 2011 Mississippi Junior Player of the Year… A three-time winner of Mississippi’s Sports Hall of Fame award… Won six state championships playing at the No. 1 singles position from seventh grade to senior year… Place third in the south 12s, 16s and 18s… Was undefeated for the Southern team in 2010 intersectionals and went 5-1 in the 2011 event… Also competed in track all four years, setting the school record for the 100- and 400-meter dash… An honor student.
Personal: Ellie Susan Yates was born Aug. 8, 1993 in Jackson, Miss…. Daughter of Gene and Kendall… Has a brother, Gene, and a sister, Turner who plays tennis for Missouri… Her grandfather Gunner Schull was an All-American soccer player and lacrosse player at Duke… Her mother Kendall played tennis at SMU… Enjoys spending time with friends and shopping in her free time… Lists Rafael Nadal as her biggest sports hero… Would like to travel to Italy… Majoring in communication studies.