Three Women’s Tennis Players Named ITA Scholar Athletes

Aug. 11, 2008

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson women’s tennis players Estefania Balda, Kathi Gerber and Laurianne Henry were named 2008 ITA Scholar Athletes, as announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The award was the third of Gerber’s career, while Balda and Laurianne each picked up their first honors.

Gerber, whose playing career concluded following the 2008 season, is the first Clemson player in program history to earn this academic accolade three times. The Vienna, WV native is majoring in biological sciences and plans to attend medical school. She was inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society in April and has been a constant on the Clemson and ACC academic honor rolls.

Balda, who was also named to the 2008 All-ACC Academic Women’s Tennis team, is a pre-business major. She played primarily at the number two singles position on Clemson’s 2008 ACC Championship squad, recording three wins over ranked opponents during the dual season. Hailing from Guayaquil, Ecuador, Balda posted a 17-17 record in 2007-08, helping the Tigers advance to the NCAA Championships Round of 16.

Henry, a freshman from nearby Anderson, SC, clinched Clemson’s victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, sending the Tigers to their second straight round of 16 appearance. The health science major played just 13 matches in the spring due to an injury but boasted an 18-7 overall record for the year.

In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status a player must meet the following criteria: 1.) be a varsity letter winner, 2.) have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year, and 3.) have been enrolled at their present school for at least 2 semesters (including freshman thorough senior year).