From Emory University Athletics
Former Emory University Women's Tennis great Mary Ellen Grant (formerly Gordon) was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame on Wednesday, May 23, as the ITA announced its four-member induction class.
As a member of the Eagles from 2000-2004, Grant (Gordon) compiled one of the most decorated tennis careers in NCAA history. She captured the NCAA Division III Singles Championship in 2003 and 2004 and was a four-time national doubles champion, becoming the first player in NCAA history, man or woman, in any division to win the doubles title all four years. In addition, her back-to-back NCAA singles and doubles championships enabled her to become the first female player in NCAA history, in any division, to accomplish that feat.
Career-wise, she still holds the No. 1 spot on the Emory all-time list with 115 singles victories and at the time of her graduation, held the program's doubles win record with 104. The 2004 ITA National Senior Player of the Year, she helped the Eagles to a four-year record of 85-10 (48-2 across her final two seasons) and spearheaded Emory in becoming the first Division III program to make three consecutive appearances in the team national championship match, helping the team win national titles in both 2003 and 2004. She also led the Eagles to four straight University Athletic Association crowns and was the first female, in any sport, in conference history to receive the MVP award every season of her career. She was inducted into the Emory Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
Grant (Gordon) is joined in the four-member induction class with Stanford's Linda Gates and Patty Fendick-McCain as well as Dr. Ann Lebedeff. For the full ITA release on all four inductees, please click here.
The 2018 ITA Women's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, September 15, 2018, at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
For more information on the ITA Women's Collegiate Hall of Fame, visit the official website here.