BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU women’s tennis program has made program history with the signing of blue chip recruits Jade Lewis and Rebecca Weissmann, co-head coaches Julia Sell and Michael Sell announced Friday.
The signing of Lewis and Weissmann marks the first time ever that two blue chip recruits have signed in one class. The Sells have also signed blue chip recruits in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history. LSU is one of just two schools in the Southeastern Conference to sign two blue chip recruits in this signing class.
“This is a tremendous and historic day for our program,” co-head coach Julia Sell said. “We are bringing in two top American players with high quality character and strong athletic ability. They are both hard working, dedicated athletes who will have an immediate impact on our team.”
Lewis is ranked 10th in the country by tennisrecruiting.net and is the highest ranked American player in the history of the program. The Hilton Head Island, South Carolina native trains at Smith Sterns Academy and is the top player in the southeast and in the state. She holds a 45-23 record overall and 11-6 record vs. blue chippers. Lewis is also ranked 75th in the ITF junior rankings.
Weissmann is ranked 13th in the country by tennisrecruiting.net and is 14th in the USTA standings. The Loveland, Colorado boasts a 34-11 overall record, which includes 10 wins over blue chippers. Weissmann is ranked first in the mountain region and in Colorado.
The signing of Lewis and Weismann marks the continued progression and development of the program under the Sells. Over the last four years, the duo has combined to sign four blue chip recruits.
The success on the recruiting trail has paid dividends on the court as the team finished last season ranked 23rd and with a 20-11 record in dual match play. The Lady Tigers reached the 20-win mark for the third time in school history. The team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time and the semifinal of the SEC Tournament for just the third time.
Individually, the entire roster has continued developing. Junior Joana Vale Costa and senior Skylar Kuykendall became the 14th and 15th players in school history to reach the 30-win mark. Individually, Vale Costa earned the highest ranked singles win for an LSU player since 2009.
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