Last week you probably read about the 10 best college tennis players in the Netherlands. But this week you can read about the 10 best women college tennis players since more and more Dutch tennis players are choosing to continue their career in the USA. Top facilities at universities, obtaining an international diploma, making friends all over the world and gaining a lot of experience. It is therefore not uncommon for women to start playing on the WTA Tour after their career as a student-athlete.
Apart from Kiki Bertens, not many Dutch tennis players have made it to the top in recent years. But can the current Dutch College Tennis Players change that in the coming years?
In this article we give you the UTR top-10 of women College Tennis players from the Netherlands. Of which some are Slamstox tennis players! Curious about this impressive list filled with talented and hard-working Division I players? You can read more about it below!
10. Jill van den Dungen
UTR-rating: 8.97
University: The College of William & Mary
Division/Conference: Division I, Colonial Athletic Association
You have probably read about Jill van den Dungen before on our news page. She previously appeared in one of our Around and about videos and was featured in a Senior Spotlight. Last year, Jill was already senior student athlete, but due to corona she received an extra year of eligibility.
Jill decided to use that extra year of eligibility for a Masters degree at a different university. Previously, Jill played for the Southwest Baptist tennis team in Missouri, now she is playing for, and studying at, the College of William & Mary in Virginia. The women’s team that Jill is now part of has participated in the NCAA Tournament no less than 22 times in the history of the school. Bizarre!
In the Senior Spotlight, Jill said that after obtaining her Master Degree, she plans to come back to the Netherlands, where she currently ranks 65th in the women’s single ranking. We are curious how Jill’s tennis and work career will continue here. But for now she can enjoy her life as a student-athlete for a couple of months. Let’s go Champ!
9. Noumea Witmus
UTR-rating: 9.01
University: Virginia Commonwealth University
Division/Conference: Division I, Atlantic 10
Noumea Witmus graduated for her high school diploma at The Hague Montessori Lyceum and then joined the Virginia Commonwealth University tennis team in the 2016/2017 school year. There she obtained her diploma in psychology in 2020 and is now, as a graduate student, part of the tennis team for one more year
Noumea’s tennis team plays in the Atlantic 10 conference, and during Noumea’s second year as student-athlete the team managed to win the title of ‘All-Atlantic Second Team’. Within the ‘A-10’ tournament she managed to win 3 singles and was named ‘A-10 Co-Players of the Week’. Besides that, Noumea became A-10 Champion with her team during her junior year!
With a UTR rating of 9.01, Noumea is in 9th place within this top 10!
8. Sophie Wagemaker
UTR-rating: 9.13
University: Georgia Southern University
Division/Conference: Division I, Sun Belt Conference
Sophie Wagemaker, that name may sound familiar to you, since her brother Pascal was in the top 10 last week! Sophie is from Zuid-Scharwoude and obtained her high school diploma at Willeam Blaeu. Last year she trained in the Netherlands with Remco Pondman of TV Heerhugowaard and played as many international ITF tournaments as possible during summer. By doing that she tried to score as many points as possible in order to find a succesfull university and athletics program in the USA.
And she succeeded: she has been part of Georgia Southern University since this school year. She plays with her team in Division I within the Sun Belt Conference. In doing so, she follows in the footsteps of her older brother. Sophie is therefore only in the starting blocks of her career as a student-athlete, and is now in 8th place within this top 10 with a UTR rating of 9.13!
7. Margriet Timmermans
UTR-rating: 9.14
University: University of South Florida
Division/Conference: Division I, American Athletic Conference
Margriet Timmermans left for Florida in 2020 to join the group of student-athletes at the University of South Florida. There she played 5 matches in her first season since he rest of the season got cancelled due to the corona outbreak that took place at the time. Meanwhile, competition has started again for Margriet and she can show what she has to offer.
Before her departure she already achieved many successes in the Netherlands: she won the Nike Junior Tour under 12, she became Dutch champion 4 times and even obtained her first WTA point! Margriet is only at the beginning of her career as student-athlete, so we will definitely keep an eye on her for the coming period!
Margriet and the University of South Florida were previously featured in one of our University Spotlights. The tennis player has not only selected a beautiful campus with a good tennis team, but also in sunny Florida! Sounds like a deal right?
Margriet currently has a UTR rating of 9.14 and is therefore in 7th place in this top 10!
6. Fleur Eggink
UTR-rating: 9.28
University: University of Colorado
Division/Conference: Division I, Pacific-12 Conference
Fleur Eggink became part of Marquette University as a Freshman in the 2016/2017 school year. After working hard in the Netherlands on both the tennis court and in the school desks, she starts her adventure as a student-athlete. In 2020 she graduates for her diploma in biochemistry & molecular biology at Marquette. In all 4 years of her carreer she and her team were named ‘Big East All-Academic Team’.
In tennis, Fleur also achieved great success at Marquette University, in her sophomore and junior year she became ‘All Big East First Team’ with her team. In addition, she was awarded the title of ‘Big East Female Athlete of the Week’ during her senior year.
Due to an extra year of playing rights, Fleur is part of the University of Colorado this year, where she will strengthen the tennis team and hopes to obtain her Masters degree. According to head coach Danielle Steinberg, Fleur is the perfect addition to the team given her character, strong will to work and experience in leadership.
Fleur therefore has a little while to go until her successful career as a student-athlete comes to an end, for now she is in 6th place in the top 10 College Tennis players of the Netherlands with a UTR rating of 9.28!
5. Ank Vullings
UTR-rating: 9.65
University: University of New Orleans
Division/Conference: Division I, Southland Conference
Ank obtained her high school diploma at the Lyceum Schonoeln in Roermond and started her first semester as a student-athlete at the University of New Orleans in 2017/2018. Unfortunately, Ank did not have a good start to her college career: she got injured and was unable to play matches throughout the school year. That is why her year as a freshman actually started in 2018/2019.
She won a lot that season and even became ‘Second Team All-Southland’ in doubles. A great achievement after a difficult first year. In the 2019/2020 school year, Ank achieved even more success: she won all her singles and only lost 2 doubles. That is why she was awarded the title of ‘Southland Student Athlete of the Year’. She thus became the first tennis player in the history of the university to receive this title!
Besides working hard on the tennis court, Ank is also busy with obtaining a diploma in Accounting. Now she is in the top 5 of Dutch College tennis players with a UTR rating of 9.65!
4. Laura Rijkers
UTR-rating: 9.74
University: University of Arkansas
Division/Conference: Division I, Southeastern Conference
Laura Rijkers obtained her VWO diploma in 2018 at Sint Joris College in Eindhoven. The dream of combining tennis and study in the USA has been around for a long time, and became reality in 2018. As a Freshman, she ends up on the enormous campus of the University of Arkansas. She became part of the Razorbacks and has been successful with her tennis team since 2018. In this university spotlight you can read more about the university that Laura is part of.
Last summer, Laura came to the Netherlands for a holiday. Then we made a ‘Catching up with…’ video with her. In the video Laura she tells about her experiences as a college tennis player in America, what the life of a ‘hedgehog’ looks like and about her greatest lessons so far. Check out the video here!
Currently, Laura is in 57th place of the women’s singles ranking and 18th of the women’s doubles in the Netherlands! As a Junior student-athlete, her college career is not over yet and we expect to see a lot more from Laura. Go Hogs !!
3. Elysia Pool
UTR-rating: 9.80
University: University of Mississippi
Division/Conference: Division I, Southeastern Conference
We have now reached the top 3, where we find Elysia Pool in 3th place. In the Netherlands, Elysia has always been among the best of her age. In 2019, she won the NK U18 in both singles and doubles. At the moment she is in 49th place in the Dutch women’s singles ranking, and in 35th place in the doubles.
Since this school year, the 19-year-old tennis player has been part of Ole Miss University. Her career as a college tennis player has only just begun, during her first fall season she already won 4 of the 6 matches she played. So there’s probably way more to come!
Now she is, with a UTR rating of 9.80, in the top 3 of highest placed Dutch College tennis players!
2. Shura Poppe
UTR-rating: 9.99
University: University of Tulsa
Division/Conference: Division I, American Athletic Conference
Shura, the talented tennis player from Vlissingen, started her career as a student-athlete in the 2017/2018 school year at the University of Tulsa. She combines tennis with a study in ‘exercise and sports science’. She is now in her Senior year in college.
Shura has a UTR rating of 9.99 to her name and is therefore in second place of this top 10!
1. Daevenia Achong
UTR-rating: 10.05
University: University of Miami
Division/Conference: Division I, Atlantic Coast Conference
With a UTR rating of 10.05, Daevenia Achong is in first place of the top 10 highest placed Dutch College tennis players! The tennis player from Geleen obtained her high school diploma at Trevianum Scholengroep and started in the school year of 2018/2019 as Freshman at the University of Miami.
She achieved her highest ITF Juniors Ranking in January 2017, when she came in #224. Before her departure to the USA she played many international tournaments and made it to the semi-finals on ‘Grade 5 tournaments’ in Finland, Kenya and Sri Lanka.
That’s a cool list of talented College Tennis Players right? This fall, new slamstox tennis players will start their college career, including Bente Spee. Bente will join the University of Florida in August and currently has a UTR rating of 10.99!
Would you like to improve your UTR rating or play college tennis? The UTR Flex Leagues ensure that tennis players can improve their UTR rating, even during corona measures. Here you will find more information about UTR Flex & how to register!
Do you have another question? Or would you like to meet us? Reach out, we will help you!
