Women's Tennis Brings in Two Signees

Women’s Tennis Brings in Two Signees

11/15/2005

Nashville — Two top high school tennis prospects have signed national letters of intent to attend Vanderbilt and to play for head coach Geoff Macdonald.

Hannah Blatt (Nashville, Tenn.) a standout out at Father Ryan High School, joins Catherine Newman (Greensboro, N.C.) to make up Macdonald’s 2005 signing class.

“We’re thrilled that Hannah is coming to Vanderbilt,” Macdonald said. “I foresee a great career here for her. Her improvement over the last year has been incredible. And Catherine Newman is a tremendous athlete, valedictorian of her school, a national champion and a great leader and person. I think both girls could become All-Americans at Vanderbilt.”

Blatt has been listed as a five-star recruit by www.tennisrecruting.net, where she is currently ranked in the Top-50. She is ranked in the Top-70 Nationally and is currently No. 5 in the Southern Region. She became the first-ever singles regional champion for Father Ryan in 2003 and repeated each of the last two seasons. She was also a semifinalist in the state tournament in 2003, took second-place in state the following year, and last year she again advanced to the semifinals. Last year she was named the Tennessean’s Mid-State Player of the Year

Blatt, who is a student ambassador at Father Ryan, is also a two-year letterwinner in softball playing second base as the Irish were back-to-back state runners-up. She is the daughter of Maggie Blatt- Corbin and the stepdaughter of VU head baseball coach Tim Corbin.

Newman, a four-year letterwinner in both tennis and soccer and a National Honor Society Member at Page High School, has built an impressive resume. She has been on the Page High School Honor Roll and the “A” Honor Roll , as well as earning the North Carolina High School Athletics Association Scholar-Athlete Individual Awards in each of her three full years of high school thus far.

Newman is listed as a blue-chip prospect by www.tennisrecruiting.net, and currently holds their No. 4 ranking.

She has been selected all-conference in tennis three times, including the conference MVP last year. She also earned all-conference honors the last two season’s for soccer, as well as an all-state designation last year. As a sophomore she earned the Donald McRae Sophomore Class Award and the Most Dedicated Sophomore Athlete Award. Last year she was given the Dewitt Redgrave Junior Achievement Award.

Newman’s has fared well competing in USTA National events. Since 2002 she has placed in eight different national tournaments. She was the 2004 USTA 16s National Hardcourt Champion last year. The year before she took third place in singles. In 2004 she also earned third place in doubles at the USTA 16s National Claycourt

Newman has also won seven different USTA Sortsmanship Awards, six in 2003-04 alone.