For the first time in Illinois State University history, the Tennis Club team is heading to Rome, Georgia, to compete in the USTA Tennis On Campus (TOC) National Championship April 4-6, 2024.
The co-ed Tennis Club travel team is comprised of eight students who competed in the USTA TOC Midwest Section Championship last month in Madison, Wisconsin, where they clinched first place in the silver bracket. According to the USTA website, over 300 universities and colleges compete in the program around the country.
The team is thrilled about representing Illinois State University at Nationals and marking a historic milestone for the University’s tennis club.
Kensey Harris, senior marketing student and Tennis Club president, highlights the exciting time for the Tennis Club and the importance of support for their team.
“Our team is ecstatic to attend Nationals in April,” Harris said. “It truly is a shock to us as we are the first team from the club to receive a bid. Our team could use all the help we can get with funding for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With your donation, you will be helping us cover our flight to Rome, Georgia, the costs of the hotel, as well as transportation to and from the tournament. We have worked extra hard this year as most of our travel team consists of seniors, so this could be our last chance to play tennis competitively. We are grateful for any support as we prepare for competition. Go Redbirds!”
You can help the team travel to Nationals by making a gift today! The estimated cost for this trip is $7,000 for the team, and the team has set a goal to raise $5,000 from the Redbird community on Illinois State’s crowdfunding website. These expenses include airfare, car rentals, hotel, meals, etc., and can be a financial strain for students to pay out of pocket.
“The Tennis Club qualifying for Nationals is a testament to the club’s dedication to hard work,” said Kelsey Orrill, assistant director of competitive sports with Campus Recreation. “Our clubs fund all of their operations themselves, including jerseys, travel, and equipment needed throughout the year. Club members balance their time between classes, social life, and work to practice multiple times per week and travel and compete on the weekends. The leaders of this club are passionate about providing both competitive and recreational opportunities, building a community that helps students feel they belong at Illinois State, playing a sport they love. With these eight students traveling to compete in Nationals, the club will not only be able to provide lifelong memories for the students competing, but will have positive recruitment momentum going into this coming fall semester.”
The Illinois State Tennis Club team practices at the Gregory Street Courts every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 p.m., with 40 members on average including the eight travel team members.
Follow the Tennis Club team’s journey to Nationals and show support on Instagram. There may be an opportunity to watch our Redbirds compete via Live Stream on the USTA National Championship website.
For questions about how to support these Redbirds, please contact the Office of Annual Giving at (309) 438-4483 or AnnualGiving@IllinoisState.edu.
