Tennis program signs four to play in 2018-19

ABILENE – Abilene Christian head tennis coach Hutton Jones today announced the signing of high school seniors Stephanie Pitts, Allison Stewart, Sylvia Viljoen and Riley Tran. They'll begin competing for the Wildcats during the 2018-19 season.

Pitts, Stewart and Viljoen join a women's team that features five returning players, while Tran will be part of a men's team that's expected to lose four of this years seniors, leaving both rosters at eight competitors.

"Anyone who read last summer's article from Inside Tennis (July/August 2017) concerning ACU Tennis and our foundational recruiting philosophies would immediately notice we don't have to go far to find great players," said Jones.

And even though the Wildcats historically have done well recruiting some of the best international talents, Jones didn't have to leave the south during this most recent recruiting cycle. Pitts, Stewart and Tran all hail from the Lone Star State, while Viljoen is a product of Jackson, Miss.

"No hyperbole," he added. "All will make an impact next season and perform at a high level academically. These four exemplify what we're trying to create here at ACU Tennis. They are truly great student-athletes who share a passion to be their best in a team environment that is about honoring God in all we do.
This is exciting to me as a coach!"

ACU's 2018 spring season starts next weekend with the men taking on SMU in Dallas and the women visiting Bloomington for the annual Indiana Winter Indoor Invitational.

Short biographies of each of the four signees are listed below.

Stephanie Pitts | 5-7 | Austin, Texas / Lake Travis HS
Athletic Accomplishments

No. 1 player for all four years at Lake Travis HS
Suffered only two losses playing No. 1 singles as a senior in 2017-18 for LTHS
Texas 4A, 5A, 6A Team Tennis Athlete of the Year for the 2017-2018 season
Four-time all-district honoree
Helped high school team reach regional finals
Reached career high No. 1 in singles for Kentucky USTA and #34 in singles Southern Region

Additional Achievements

Four-time Academic District Team
Intends to major in interior design at ACU

Coach's Quote
"Steffi has a big game with quite a bit of experience as she was a top player in the South and No. 1 in Kentucky before moving to Austin a few years ago. She has big weapons and the athleticism to be comfortable at the level we'll be aspiring to. Her spirit is contagious and I'm just as excited about the spirit she will bring to ACU Tennis."

Allison Stewart | 5-8 | Midland, Texas / Midland HS
Athletic Accomplishments

2017 6A Doubles State Champion
2017 Texas Grand Slam Doubles Runner-Up

Additional Achievements

Ranked No. 7 in her class out of 650 students
Intends to major in speech pathology at ACU

Coach's Quote
"This is kind of crazy to say but Allison reminds me of Erin Walker, which is a great compliment for sure. Allison will make her own statement and I know it will be fun to watch that happen. She is such a solid ball striker who also possesses doubles skills as evident by her 6A state championship from last season. There's no doubt that's she's a team first-person and I love that!"

Sylvia Viljoen | 5-8 | Jackson, Miss. / Home School
Athletic Accomplishments

Four-Star National Tennis recruit
Top 50 USTA Southern Section Ranking in 18's
No. 1 ranked female in Mississippi for the class of 2018
Selected for USTA Southern Zonal 16's team
Represent Mississippi on seven occasions at the Southern Junior Cup Team Event
Twice represented Mississippi at the USTA National Junior Team Tennis Championships
2017 Dorothy Vest Female Player of the Year presented by the Mississippi Tennis Foundation
2016 George Wilkinson Memorial Award presented by the Mississippi Tennis Foundation
2016 Mississippi Southern Junior Cup Female MVP
2013 USTA Junior Team Tennis Sectional U14 Sportsmanship Award
Second Degree Senior Black Belt (Taekwondo America)

Additional Achievements

2016 Summer Tennis Camp Director for Operation Shoestring serving at-risk inner city youth of Jackson
Major is undeclared

Coach's Quote
"I watched Sylvia beat a four-star recruit at a national tournament 6-2, 6-2, and she did it with a variety of shots and tactics. That impressed me. But what impressed me most was the next round where she lost to another four-star, but she looked like a winner throughout the match. Sylvia was a great competitor in victory or defeat, and that's ACU Tennis."

Riley Tran | 6-0 | Colleyville, Texas / Keller HS
Athletic Accomplishments

Four-year No. 1 singles and doubles player for Keller High School
Three-year Team Captain
Area Champion
Four-time District 3-6A Champion and MVP
Two-time No. 1 Singles All-District and four-time No. 1 Doubles All-District
Received three district sportsmanship awards

Additional Achievements

Maintaining a 4.0 GPA
Recipient of a Letter K Award for academic excellence in biology and chemistry
Gold Award recipient, which is presented to exemplary students

Coach's Quote
"At the DI men's level, many times the difference is the athleticism from one team to another and Riley has the tennis foundation to be a success at this level. He has the athleticism to be really comfortable playing the people we will play in our path to being top-ranked NCAA DI tennis school. I love that he is a lefty and truly fears no one. He's confident that he will beat the opposition, and each person on our team must think they can beat those the rankings say are better. I believe Riley will do that at ACU!"

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Erin Walker

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