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The University of Utah Athletics
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Utah Women's Tennis: Hungry For More
1/6/2020 3:14 PM | Women's Tennis
Unsatisfied with last year's finish, Utah returns with high expectations.
    The Utes are coming off a 2019 season that came up just short of an NCAA Tournament appearance, finishing as the No. 44-ranked team in the nation with an overall record of 13-11. Last year's squad climbed as high as No. 38 in the national rankings and this spring the Utes are striving to jump the hurdle and return to the NCAA Tournament. Despite having just two upperclassmen on the roster, Utah's returners are coming back with significant experience from a year ago and have high expectations for the 2020 season.
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    The Utes will be led by Ric Mortera this season, who is in the midst of his first season with the University of Utah after being named the women's tennis head coach this past summer. Mortera comes to Salt Lake City after a year as the Fresno State women's tennis head coach. Mortera led the Bulldogs to nine dual wins, while seeing three student-athletes earn All-Mountain West honors. Prior to Fresno State, Mortera spent three successful seasons as the associate head coach at Texas Tech, where he saw the Lady Raiders go 73-17 during his time spent in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech made the NCAA Tournament all three years that Mortera was on staff, including back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2015 and 2016 and an Elite Eight run in 2017.Â
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    Headlining Utah's six returners this season is sophomore Madison Tattini. Tattini held the No. 2 position in singles last year, posting 12 wins in dual action with three straight wins against Minnesota, Western Michigan, and No. 28 Washington State. Tattini was paired with Brianna Chisholm at the No. 1 position in doubles, notching 10 wins, and defeating two straight ranked opponents from No. 28 Washington State and No. 10 Washington. Following a successful first season with the Utes, Tattini was recognized as the ITA Mountain Region Freshman of the Year. Tattini rolled at the ITA Mountain Region Championships this fall, winning four straight matches to advance to the semifinal round.Â
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    Looking to take on a leadership role for the young Utah team, the only senior on this year's tennis squad is Whitney Hekking. Last season, Hekking totaled 11 wins for the Utes, playing primarily at the No. 5 spot, while also tallying victories at the No. 4 and 6 position. Strong on the doubles court as well, Hekking and Tattini paired together in the fall and went 8-2. After the stellar fall play on the doubles court, the duo ranks No. 24 in the nation following their fall run.
    Fellow sophomores Emily Dush and Lindsay Hung are also coming off freshman seasons that were key to Utah's team last year. Dush carded 10 dual wins in singles at the No. 3 position, while Hung notched nine singles wins playing for the Utes at the No. 2-4 positions. Hung had a terrific outing at the SDSU Classic, where she appeared in the singles final of Flight A, as well as at the ITA Mountain Region Championships, where she reached the round of 16 in singles play and also earned a spot in the quarterfinals of doubles.
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   In addition to Tattini, Dush, and Hung, Utah also brings back Anya Lamoreaux and Jasmine Rich as sophomores on the roster. Lamoreaux saw action in four singles matches last year in the No. 4 and 6 positions. Lamoreaux picked up two wins at the Kentucky Invite in the fall, but highlighting her fall campaign was an impressive victory over the No. 17-ranked doubles team in the nation from Ole Miss with freshman partner Katya Hersh. Rich closed out her fall season strong, tabbing two singles wins at the Rebel Invite.
    With returners hungry to build off last season, three newcomers have come in with the same mindset and will look to aid Utah in returning to the postseason. Utah welcomed two transfers this offseason, along with one freshman. Madeline Lamoreaux, the reigning Big sky Freshman of the Year, transferred from Eastern Washington to join her twin sister Anya on the Ute squad. Lamoreaux earned first-team All-Big Sky honors for a freshman season that saw a 14-8 singles record and 15-5 record in doubles play while playing in the No. 1 slot for EWU. Lamoreaux had a stellar fall campaign, going 8-2 in singles play which included going undefeated at the Miami Invite.
    A junior transfer from Point Loma, Madison McKay was a part of the Point Loma squad that earned the program's highest ever ITA ranking and most wins in a season. McKay was a two-time Pac-West All-Academic selection. She tabbed three singles wins in the fall, which included her first win as a Ute at the Kentucky Invite.
    Lastly, freshman Katya Hersh joins the Utes as a four-star recruit hailing from Carpentersville, Ill. Prior to attending the U, Hersh claimed three national doubles titles in 2018 - the Miami Open National L3, Sanchez-Casal National L3, and Rome, Ga. July National L2. Hersh tallied a 23-10 record against other four-star recruits in 2018. She was ranked No. 96 nationally when she signed with Utah, according to TennisRecruiting.net. Hersh picked up an outstanding doubles win with partner Anya Lamoreaux over the nation's No. 17-ranked doubles team to highlight her fall play on the doubles court. The Ute freshman also shined at the Rebel Invite, winning two straight matches and making it to the finals.
    Utah will open the spring season with two home matches against Southern Utah on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center. The first match against the Thunderbirds will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the second match at 4 p.m. to end the day.
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    The Utes will be led by Ric Mortera this season, who is in the midst of his first season with the University of Utah after being named the women's tennis head coach this past summer. Mortera comes to Salt Lake City after a year as the Fresno State women's tennis head coach. Mortera led the Bulldogs to nine dual wins, while seeing three student-athletes earn All-Mountain West honors. Prior to Fresno State, Mortera spent three successful seasons as the associate head coach at Texas Tech, where he saw the Lady Raiders go 73-17 during his time spent in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech made the NCAA Tournament all three years that Mortera was on staff, including back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2015 and 2016 and an Elite Eight run in 2017.Â
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    Headlining Utah's six returners this season is sophomore Madison Tattini. Tattini held the No. 2 position in singles last year, posting 12 wins in dual action with three straight wins against Minnesota, Western Michigan, and No. 28 Washington State. Tattini was paired with Brianna Chisholm at the No. 1 position in doubles, notching 10 wins, and defeating two straight ranked opponents from No. 28 Washington State and No. 10 Washington. Following a successful first season with the Utes, Tattini was recognized as the ITA Mountain Region Freshman of the Year. Tattini rolled at the ITA Mountain Region Championships this fall, winning four straight matches to advance to the semifinal round.Â
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    Looking to take on a leadership role for the young Utah team, the only senior on this year's tennis squad is Whitney Hekking. Last season, Hekking totaled 11 wins for the Utes, playing primarily at the No. 5 spot, while also tallying victories at the No. 4 and 6 position. Strong on the doubles court as well, Hekking and Tattini paired together in the fall and went 8-2. After the stellar fall play on the doubles court, the duo ranks No. 24 in the nation following their fall run.
    Fellow sophomores Emily Dush and Lindsay Hung are also coming off freshman seasons that were key to Utah's team last year. Dush carded 10 dual wins in singles at the No. 3 position, while Hung notched nine singles wins playing for the Utes at the No. 2-4 positions. Hung had a terrific outing at the SDSU Classic, where she appeared in the singles final of Flight A, as well as at the ITA Mountain Region Championships, where she reached the round of 16 in singles play and also earned a spot in the quarterfinals of doubles.
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   In addition to Tattini, Dush, and Hung, Utah also brings back Anya Lamoreaux and Jasmine Rich as sophomores on the roster. Lamoreaux saw action in four singles matches last year in the No. 4 and 6 positions. Lamoreaux picked up two wins at the Kentucky Invite in the fall, but highlighting her fall campaign was an impressive victory over the No. 17-ranked doubles team in the nation from Ole Miss with freshman partner Katya Hersh. Rich closed out her fall season strong, tabbing two singles wins at the Rebel Invite.
    With returners hungry to build off last season, three newcomers have come in with the same mindset and will look to aid Utah in returning to the postseason. Utah welcomed two transfers this offseason, along with one freshman. Madeline Lamoreaux, the reigning Big sky Freshman of the Year, transferred from Eastern Washington to join her twin sister Anya on the Ute squad. Lamoreaux earned first-team All-Big Sky honors for a freshman season that saw a 14-8 singles record and 15-5 record in doubles play while playing in the No. 1 slot for EWU. Lamoreaux had a stellar fall campaign, going 8-2 in singles play which included going undefeated at the Miami Invite.
    A junior transfer from Point Loma, Madison McKay was a part of the Point Loma squad that earned the program's highest ever ITA ranking and most wins in a season. McKay was a two-time Pac-West All-Academic selection. She tabbed three singles wins in the fall, which included her first win as a Ute at the Kentucky Invite.
    Lastly, freshman Katya Hersh joins the Utes as a four-star recruit hailing from Carpentersville, Ill. Prior to attending the U, Hersh claimed three national doubles titles in 2018 - the Miami Open National L3, Sanchez-Casal National L3, and Rome, Ga. July National L2. Hersh tallied a 23-10 record against other four-star recruits in 2018. She was ranked No. 96 nationally when she signed with Utah, according to TennisRecruiting.net. Hersh picked up an outstanding doubles win with partner Anya Lamoreaux over the nation's No. 17-ranked doubles team to highlight her fall play on the doubles court. The Ute freshman also shined at the Rebel Invite, winning two straight matches and making it to the finals.
    Utah will open the spring season with two home matches against Southern Utah on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center. The first match against the Thunderbirds will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the second match at 4 p.m. to end the day.
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