Nov. 19, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; - Head coach Dawna Prevette announced today the signings of Amy Simidian and Sarah Henderson to the 2009 recruiting class. Simidian of Carlstadt, N.J. and Henderson of Auckland, New Zealand will begin their Nittany Lion tennis careers in fall 2009.
"The coaching staff and the team are excited to have both Amy and Sarah join the Penn State family," said Prevette. "Amy is an extremely talented all court player who loves to be challenged and Sarah is a tenacious competitor who will bring many intangibles to our program."
Simidian, of Henry P. Becton Regional High School, is a five-star recruit who is ranked No. 34 on Tennisrecruiting.net. She won the New Jersey State Singles Championship in October by defeating Stef Balasa of East Brunswick in the final, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
Henderson, of St. Cuthbert's College, was a member of the New Zealand Junior Federation Cup Team in 2006. In 2007, she was ranked No. 20 in the New Zealand 18 and under rankings. She was part of a high school team that was National Champion in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Henderson had a three-year National Finals record of 7-1 in singles and 9-0 in doubles.
The Nittany Lions will begin their spring season on Saturday, Jan. 17 at home against Bucknell and IUPUI. Play will begin at 3 p.m. at the Penn State Indoor Tennis Center.