The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Women's Tennis Inks Strong Recruiting Class
4/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Two talented incoming freshmen McKenna Root and Reghan Lynch, as well as Mississippi State transfer Alex Corder, have signed National Letters Of Intent with the UAB women's tennis program, head coach Mark Tjia announced on Monday.
All three players will be eligible to play during the 2015-16 campaign at UAB.
"I am extremely excited about our incoming class," head coach Mark Tjia said. "I truly believe this will turn out to be one of the best recruiting classes in our history. I am really looking forward to working with our new players. What they all have in common, is that they are all hungry to be the best player they can be, and they are also eager to have their impact felt on this program."
Corder, who finished with a 5-5 singles record and 7-5 doubles mark during the 2014 fall season at Mississippi State, played on a Bulldog team that is currently ranked No. 42 in the latest ITA Rankings. Perhaps her most impressive run at MSU came at the Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Ariz., where she went 4-0 in singles and claimed the title of her draw.
The Corinth, Miss., native attended New Braunfels High School in New Braunfels, Texas under head coach David Mueller. She helped the Unicorns to three consecutive Texas State High School Tennis Championships from 2012-14 and was named team captain as a senior.
"Alex is coming from a top-40 program and will bring experience to our squad," Tjia said. "She has defeated some quality opponents in the fall, including Conference USA opponents who are currently playing at the top singles spots for their schools. She has also accumulated wins over players from top-50 teams."
A four-time national junior champion, Root comes to UAB from Dow High School in Midland, Mich. Root most recently played in the main draw of the 100K Dow Corning Classic, which attracts nearly 60 women from all over the world. At Dow High School, Root placed on the All-Saginaw Valley League Tennis Team.
"McKenna comes in with a lot of competitive experience on a national scale," Tjia said. "She has done a lot of winning in her career to this point, and she knows what it takes. She likes the big stage, and is not afraid of the moment. We could not be more excited about her becoming a Blazer."

Joining Root will be fellow incoming freshman Lynch, who comes to UAB from Ottawa, Canada. During her junior career, Lynch competed in 10 professional futures tournaments. She played four seasons at John McCrae High School during her prep career.
"Reghan will also bring experience to the team even as a freshman," Tjia said. "She has competed in 10 professional futures events, which is probably more than our whole roster combined.  I am so excited to see where her game goes when she gets exposed to regular competition."

For more information on the UAB women's tennis team, follow @UABWTennis. For more on all Blazer sports teams, follow @UABAthletics.
