It was announced earlier this week that two members of the University of Redlands women’s tennis team gained Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-America honors. Junior Paige Sumida (Hilo, HI) garnered the award in both singles and doubles, while junior Whitney Waters (Austin, TX) boasted the accolade for doubles.

There are five criteria for being named to the ITA All-America team, which include success at the NCAA Individual Championships as well as year-end national ranking. Sumida earned the accolade for singles by advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. She defeated an opponent from Amherst College (MA) in the first round by scores of 6-3, 6-2, before suffering a tough three-set loss in the Round of 16.

Sumida and Waters gained the honor for doubles due to their final national ranking of No. 5. Competing as the top duo at Redlands, they amassed a season record of 16-10 while taking on some of the best opponents in the country.

As a team, the Bulldogs finished out the season at No. 8 on the national rankings. They tied the program’s record for wins in a season with a 17-7 mark. Redlands captured a share of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title with a 9-1 record and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Team Championships.

For a complete list of the ITA All-America team, please log onto the ITA web site.