04-12-2021, 01:27 PM
And consider what this team might be in store for next year, with the two top recruits in the country (Connie Ma and Alexandra Yepifanova) already signed, with another top ten recruit (Valencia Xu) verbally committed, presumably just waiting on a scholarship to open up (or for Ma/Yepifanova to forego college tennis).
Arbuthnott and Higuchi exhaust their extra year of eligibility this year, so they won't be back. Gordon and Shin could have an extra year if they want it, but they're seniors this year and are presumably planning for their lives after undergrad. (I think those extra years are "use it or lose it," so while I don't think that Gordon or Shin foregoing that fifth year would open up a scholarship, I don't know for sure that it wouldn't.) If they come back, though, here's the roster math:
Fifth years (2): Michaela Gordon, Janice Shin
Seniors (2): Sara Choy, Niluka Madurawe
Juniors (2): Angelica Blake, Nicole Mossmer
Sophomores (2): Ana Geller, India Houghton
Freshmen (2/3): Connie Ma, Alexandra Yepifanova (and maybe Valencia Xu)
The roster math doesn't work right now with Xu, but it's nice to know she hasn't already signed somewhere else, and she's seemingly still intent on coming. Maybe she'll do what either Choy or Madurawe did their freshmen years and pay her own way freshman year and jump on scholarship the following year. (That roster math was never made clear, but on paper, it sure looked like we were one over.)
Next year, Jada Hart will finally leave UCLA, and Vivian Wolff will join her (maybe Annette Goulak and Abi Altick, too). That golden class at UNC will finally be gone, as Sara Daavettila, Alexa Graham, Alle Sanford, and Makenna Jones will leave. UCLA will still be super tough, as Bolton and Forbes are still young, and they keep adding blue chips like we do, but UNC's time as the favorite will come to an end, at least. (They've still got oodles of talent, too.) I like our chances next year, though whether Gordon comes back for another year impacts that analysis.
Arbuthnott and Higuchi exhaust their extra year of eligibility this year, so they won't be back. Gordon and Shin could have an extra year if they want it, but they're seniors this year and are presumably planning for their lives after undergrad. (I think those extra years are "use it or lose it," so while I don't think that Gordon or Shin foregoing that fifth year would open up a scholarship, I don't know for sure that it wouldn't.) If they come back, though, here's the roster math:
Fifth years (2): Michaela Gordon, Janice Shin
Seniors (2): Sara Choy, Niluka Madurawe
Juniors (2): Angelica Blake, Nicole Mossmer
Sophomores (2): Ana Geller, India Houghton
Freshmen (2/3): Connie Ma, Alexandra Yepifanova (and maybe Valencia Xu)
The roster math doesn't work right now with Xu, but it's nice to know she hasn't already signed somewhere else, and she's seemingly still intent on coming. Maybe she'll do what either Choy or Madurawe did their freshmen years and pay her own way freshman year and jump on scholarship the following year. (That roster math was never made clear, but on paper, it sure looked like we were one over.)
Next year, Jada Hart will finally leave UCLA, and Vivian Wolff will join her (maybe Annette Goulak and Abi Altick, too). That golden class at UNC will finally be gone, as Sara Daavettila, Alexa Graham, Alle Sanford, and Makenna Jones will leave. UCLA will still be super tough, as Bolton and Forbes are still young, and they keep adding blue chips like we do, but UNC's time as the favorite will come to an end, at least. (They've still got oodles of talent, too.) I like our chances next year, though whether Gordon comes back for another year impacts that analysis.