EDWARDSVILLE – SIUE women's tennis Head Coach Adam Albertsen announced the signings of four new Cougars to the class of 2019.
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Nicole Gomez (Cartagena, Colombia) will be joining the Cougars as a freshman for the 2019 spring season. Jill Lambrechts (Beerse, Belgium), Caitlyn Sporing (Blue Springs, Missouri) and Melissa Vizcardo (The Woodlands, Texas) will join SIUE women's tennis in the fall of 2019.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Nicole, Jill, Caitlyn and Melissa to the Cougar family," said Albertsen. "Throughout the recruiting process, these four student-athletes stood out on and off the court for their high character and strong work ethic. This is a very motivated group that wants to help our team succeed."
Nicole Gomez, Caragena, Colombia (Gimnasio Altair de Cartagena), 5-6
Gomez comes to SIUE as the ninth-ranked player in Colombia. She currently has a universal tennis rating (UTR) of 9.5. Gomez won the 2018 Masters Tournament in Colombia.
Why Nicole chose SIUE: "I chose to become a Cougar because I loved the feel of the SIUE campus. I can't wait to help the team and grow my game as a player."
Jill Lambrechts, Beerse, Belgium (Maris Stella Instituut), 5-9
Jill comes to SIUE as the 90th-ranked player in Belgium. She is a two-time First Division main draw semifinalist and a three-time quarterfinalist.
Why Jill chose SIUE: "SIUE has great coaches and a very supportive team. I loved the beautiful green campus and amazing wildlife. As soon as I visited, it felt like home. I'm happy to be a Cougar!"
Caitlyn Sporing, Blue Springs, Missouri (Blue Springs High School), 5-5
Sporing is a three-star recruit and is the second ranked recruit in the state of Missouri according to tennisrecruiting.net. Earned Class 2 All-State honors and qualified for state her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. She is a three time The Examiner Girl's Tennis Player of the Year (2016-18) and holds a 8.2 UTR rating.
Why Caitlyn chose SIUE: "I chose to become a Cougar because the second I stepped on campus it just felt like home."
Melissa Vizcardo, The Woodlands, Texas (The Woodlands High School), 5-8
Vizcardo is a four-star recruit and the 14th-ranked recruit out of Texas, according to tennisrecruiting.net. She is a two-time state qualifier for The Woodlands in singles. Vizcardo was a finalist at the Winter Nationals South draw. She placed third at the Las Vegas National Doubles tournament, and she recently reached the quarterfinals of the Sugar Bowl National. Vizcardo is a member of the FM Tennis Academy and has a UTR rating of 9.5.
Why Melissa chose SIUE: "I chose to become a Cougar because SIUE values academics and athletics and not just one or the other."
Final Thoughts
"Their competitive tournament experience should prepare them to make an immediate impact on the courts and really complement our returners," said Albertsen. "I am very excited to work with this group and watch their game develop at SIUE."
The Cougars open up the spring season Jan. 21 when they will travel to face Chicago State.
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