Fournier and Nguyen Join the Wolverines for 2009-10
11/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan head women's tennis coach Ronni Bernstein announced Friday (Nov. 21) the signing of two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. Taylor Fournier of Leawood, Kan., and Thien-Trang Nguyen of Long Beach, Calif., will join the Wolverines for the 2009-10 season.
Nguyen, who goes by Mimi, is currently the No. 17-ranked senior in the country according to tennisrecruiting.net. She has been ranked as the top player in Southern California in her age group four times and is in the top 20 in theUSTA Girls' 18-and-under singles rankings. She claimed the Easter Bowl Girls' 14-and-under doubles championship and earned the Winter Super National Sportsmanship Award.
Playing for Millikan High School her freshman and sophomore seasons, Nguyen was a two-time California Interscholastic Federation singles semifinalist and atwo-time Moore's League singles champion in addition to earning Press-Telegram and Century Club Player of the Year honors both seasons.
"I am very excited about the addition of Mimi to our program," said Bernstein. "She has been competing in the Southern California section, which is one of the best in the country. Mimi has a great all-around game and will be a fantastic addition to our program. Her ground strokes are solid, but she also has a great sense of when to move forward and finish the point. She will enjoy the team aspect and be an impact player for our team. She also knows our student-athletes from California who are currently on our team so her transition should be smooth."
Fournier joins the Wolverines from Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kan. Fournier had an outstanding junior season, helping her high school team to its fourth consecutive state championship and claiming the Kansas state 6A singles title.
Fournier has earned numerous awards for her efforts on and off the court. She was named Fox 4 Athlete of the Year and Kansas Tennis Player of the Year anda National High School Tennis All-American. Fournier is a three-time member of her high school's honor roll and the Presidential Honor roll.
"Taylor will be a great fit for our team and what we are trying to accomplish," Bernstein said. "She brings with her a big serve and an all-court game. I think she will continue to improve this next year and do some great things when she arrives in Ann Arbor. She works extremely hard on the court and also in the classroom and has a great passion for Michigan. I really look forward to working with Taylor once she arrives on campus."
Contact: Jessica Poole (734) 763-4423
