Maddie Lombardi recently culminated an exceptional high school career by accepting a tennis scholarship at Augustana College in Rock Island.
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Lombardi will join a laundry list of Edwardsville High School tennis players who have gone on to play in college. She will get an academic scholarship at Augustana in addition to being a member of the tennis team.
This past season, Maddie played No. 1 doubles for Edwardsville’s girls with her sister, Emily.
When Maddie visited the Augustana campus, she said she fell in the love with the school.
“The campus is gorgeous,” she said. “They train for a couple of hours all season there with even winter workouts. I have been playing tennis my whole life. My dad played tennis and tennis is part of my family.”
Maddie praised Edwardsville head tennis coach Dave Lipe for teaching her many of the skills she knows.
“He also taught me a lot about teamwork, leadership and discipline on and off the tennis courts,” she said.
Maddie did well in the IHSA girls state tennis tournament, bowling to the tourney’s No. 1 seed in the round of 16.
The Edwardsville tennis sensation said she is interested in both art and business as she moves on to college. She said she and her sister are very close, being only 18 months apart. Emily will be a senior on this year’s team.
Maddie expects to get considerable playing time this season in doubles for Augustana.
On the day of her signing, Lipe said it was a great day and something all of the coaching staff and tennis players at EHS work for – an opportunity for the players to continue on in college.
“Augustana is a phenomenal school,” Lipe said. “I am so proud of Maddie.”
Rob Lombardi and Dave Lipe were both members of a Granite City tennis team that won the sectional in 1984.
“Rob and I probably played 1,000 hours on the tennis courts at Wilson Park,” Lipe said. “My dream is for all my kids to mature and find a place to play at the next level. This seems like a good fit for Maddie. She is a great leader on our team and she had a terrific career. Maddie has been a positive influence on our young kids.”
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