Brendel, Raicevic Sign Letters of Intent With Program

[IAA Fan]

Head Women's Tennis Coach Mark Klysner announced that Annina Brendel (Germany) and Tijana Raicevic (Serbia) have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Youngstown State program.

Both Brendel, a native of Hagenbach, Germany, and Raicevic, a native of Belgrade, Serbia, have been highly-ranked juniors in their home countries.

Brendel played for the TC Wolfsberg Pforzheim club squad this past season. In the latest German rankings, she is 282nd and was ranked has high as 65 in the under-18 category.

Brendel said she is excited to join the program.

"I chose Youngstown State because I think there is big potential for the tennis team," she said.

Raicevic has been ranked in the top-10 nationally in Sebria throughout her young career.

"I want to come to YSU for its photography major and because the tennis program is moving in positive direction."

In 2012-13, the Penguins will return all five letterwinners, including standouts Marta Burak, Margarita Sadovnikova and Lauren Hankle.

[Wick250]

I'm not sure how to react here.  On the one hand, I want our university to acquire the best athletes available, and a few months ago I urged men's basketball to recruit eastern Europeans.  That being said, the purpose of Title IX was supposedly to provide opportunities for young women that the men already enjoyed.  I kind of translate that as American women who are definitely not getting those opportunities as college tennis becomes dominated by Europeans at the Division I level.

[guinpen]

My first thought is that for any sport, get the best talent you can no matter where they are from. No matter the sport, the more you win, the easier it is to recruit.

[IAA Fan]

What you say does make sense Wick. However, the men's programs have done it for years ...so we should not expect the same from the ladies? Look at the NBA, prior to a few years ago. There was no paid attendance. They changed the game to become more of a "ghetto ball" sport. Then they finally realized that white $$$ were not being spent on that. So the owners scoured the globe looking for white players that could compete in this type of basketball. They were all Europeans ...no Americans until just recently; and many of those were Europeans that came over earlier and played college ball here in the States.

We can bring in these type of girls, that have been able to compete at a higher-levels at younger ages. Let's face it ...dominating American girls are not going to play at YSU. Also, the game of tennis (especially in Europe) has become what I call a "boutique" sport. I am willing to bet these girls are not unattractive.