ITA Rewards Women’s Tennis, Five Rams for Academics

ITA Rewards Women’s Tennis, Five Rams for Academics
Posted: Jul 14, 2023

ITA RELEASE | ITA SCHOLAR-ATHLETE | ITA ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM 

TEMPE, Ariz. – Suffolk women's tennis received academic accolades from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) once again as the squad was named an ITA All-Academic team in addition to five Rams – Alyssa Blade, Barbara Consales, Rachel Hill, Bianca Prescott and Anastasiya Zakharava garnering ITA Scholar-Athlete distinction, the national organization announced. 

To qualify as an ITA All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must maintain a cumulative team grade point average of 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale, with each eligible player's average accounted for in the calculation. 

As a unit, the blue-and-gold posted a 3.650 GPA over 2022-23 en route to Suffolk's third straight ITA Academic Team Award and sixth overall. The Rams were one of four Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) institutions recognized alongside Endicott, Roger Williams and Western New England, who were a part of the 160 programs to pick up the feat. For a complete list of the 2022-23 ITA All-Academic Teams, click here. 

Individually, the five some of Blade, Consales, Hill, Prescott and Zakharava achieved the requirements of a 3.5 grade point average over the academic year to take home the recognition. Consales and Prescott earned the accomplishment for the fourth time in their careers, while Blade was a second-time recipient. Hill and Zakharava received the nod in their first collegiate campaigns. 

The five individuals from Suffolk were among 29 CCC student-athletes to earn the accolade. Endicott had the most with nine followed by seven from Curry, five from Roger Williams and a trio that attend Western New England. Overall, 1,204 NCAA Division III female student-athletes earned a spot on the 2022-23 ITA Scholar-Athlete list. For a full breakdown, click here. 

Suffolk had five selections for the second straight season, which tied a program record that was set in 2018-19. Overall, 16 Rams have accounted for 31 ITA Scholar-Athlete achievements in the Rams' record books with the first such awards coming in 2014-15.