TEMPE, Ariz. – For the fourth consecutive season, the UTSA women’s tennis team has significant representation among the honorees for Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athlete, as the 2024 squad yielded four awardees, including a pair of repeat performers on the national academic standout listing. Aleksandra Zlatarova, Cassie McLay, Eva Beyebach and Mina Obradovic were all named 2024 ITA Scholar-Athletes, while the Roadrunners squad earned its fifth consecutive ITA All-Academic Team accolades.
Coming off the best UTSA season since 2003, the Roadrunners produced a 17-7 record after opening the year at 9-3, while also going a perfect 9-0 at home for the first undefeated homestand since 1992. The Roadrunners were ranked twice throughout the year, including a program-best No. 61 ITA national ranking.
A senior from Burgas, Bulgaria, Zlatarova registered a 3.96 GPA on her Management major, marking her third time receiving the honor, having also just earned her spot on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. On the court for the Roadrunners, she was 12-8 in singles play and shared the team-high 17-4 record with fellow honoree McLay. The pair were 15-1 together on first court in doubles play. Also representing UTSA on the CSC Academic All-District Team this season, Melbourne, Fla. graduate student McLay went 8-8 in singles, and captured a 3.77 GPA in Biotechnology this past year. Also earning her third straight ITA honor, Madrid, Spain senior Beyebach boasted a 4.0 GPA in Business Analytics with a Statistics minor, going 3-1 in singles and 3-0 in doubles. Belgrade, Serbia native Obradovic was unable to compete this season, but put in the work in the classroom for a 3.97 GPA in Communication with a Marketing minor.
To be eligible for ITA Scholar-Athlete honors, student-athletes had to have a 3.5+ GPA for the academic year and the UTSA quartet is recognized among the 1,573 standout academic performers across Division I during the 2024 season.
To qualify for ITA All-Academic Team status, the team must have a 3.2 or higher team GPA. This marks the fifth consecutive year that the Roadrunners have earned the honor, securing a 3.53 team GPA for the 2023-24 academic year.
- UTSA -