University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gopher Tennis Welcomes Four Additions to 2024-25 Roster
7/18/2024 11:00:00 AM | Tennis
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota head tennis coach Lois Arterberry has announced four additions to the Gopher tennis program in Jeselle Ante (Riverside, Calif.), Yinong Ma (Shenzhen, China), Deniz Turan (Istanbul, Turkey), and Arina Valitova (Saint Kitts and Nevis). These new additions, along with winter signees Nora Knezevic and Anlin Xie, complete the program's 2024-25 signing class.
"We are truly excited with the players that we have chosen for our 2024 class," said Coach Arterberry. "Last year, we built our program on having a solid cultural foundation. Now that the foundation is set, it's time to grow our ability to be competitive. Our six new student-athletes will be ready to make a direct impact and continue the success of this program. Each of these recruits are coming in with different levels of experiences and talents, all of which add greatly to the diversity of this team. They are all great people who will each support and enhance our culture. We are looking forward to merging the returners and the newcomers in a seamless transition. I would personally like to thank Deniz, Jeselle, Yinong and Arina for choosing us, as well as Nora and Anlin, who signed last fall. Welcome to the family and go Gophs!"
Ante, who enters her sophomore year, is transferring to Minnesota after playing a season with Wyoming. A staple in the Wyoming lineup, Ante held a 16-12 singles record and went 17-9 in doubles play. Ante received Mountain West's Freshman of the Week this past season when she won both her singles and doubles match at Colorado State. Prior to her Wyoming tenure, Ante graduated in 2023 and played in numerous junior tournaments such as Clay Nationals, Winter Nationals and UTR National Pathways. In May of 2023, Ante was a semifinalist of the Philippine Open and competed in ClayCourt with two wins in July of 2022. She also was the champion of the UTA National Pathway U-17 competition in December of 2021 and represented SoCal in the Pacific Cup Team.
"When I was first talking to the University of Minnesota, I felt a connection," Ante said. "It suddenly seemed all I could imagine was wearing Maroon and Gold. I knew there would be new challenges at an elevated level, but it felt manageable and worth the sacrifice to be on a team that cares for you outside of the court and pushes you. I see myself constantly exploring who I am as I explore a diverse campus. The balance of tough and gentle love to nurture myself to be a better player, a better teammate, a better student, and a better person. I made this decision for myself and I found a new home."
Ma, who is entering her sophomore year, played at St Thomas during the 2023-24 campaign. In that span, Ma played in all 21 singles matches and held a 14-4 record. She set St Thomas' DI record in singles wins in a season. In addition, she competed in 21 doubles matches and won 10, all at the No. 1 spot. Prior to her time with the Tommies, Ma won the 2021 Capital Tennis Association singles championship.
"I am excited to join the University of Minnesota and all they have to offer," Ma said. "I look forward to continuing my time in Minnesota, with coach Arterberry and being a Gopher!"
Turan, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, will be kicking off her collegiate career with the Maroon and Gold after graduating from FMV Işık Ayazağa Lisesi. The incoming freshman previously played for the 2024 U18, 2020 U14, and 2018 U12 Turkish National Teams. She holds a current ITF Junior Ranking of 648, and previously notched her career-high of 583 in April 2024.
"I chose to attend the University of Minnesota because I wanted to continue competing at a high level while receiving an amazing education. The exceptional resources available here convinced me it would be the perfect place to pursue both my academic and athletic careers."
Valitova has two years of eligibility after playing her first two seasons at Rutgers. As a sophomore, Valitova had six wins in singles and double action last year. In her freshman campaign, Valitova saw action in 20 matches, including a straight set singles win over ranked Iowa. Prior to her Rutgers tenure, Valitova was the winner of the ITF Juniors and the Tennis Europe tournaments in both singles and doubles competition. She also played beach tennis, where she was the winner of the Juniors European Championship in doubles and a member of the Russian National Beach Tennis U18 Team.
"I chose to attend the University of Minnesota for a variety of reasons," Valitova said. "I love the energy and sincerity of the coaches who truly inspire me. The U of M also has a high global ranking in my future profession of psychology and is ranked No. 4 nationally. Between athletics and academics, it was a perfect fit."
"We are truly excited with the players that we have chosen for our 2024 class," said Coach Arterberry. "Last year, we built our program on having a solid cultural foundation. Now that the foundation is set, it's time to grow our ability to be competitive. Our six new student-athletes will be ready to make a direct impact and continue the success of this program. Each of these recruits are coming in with different levels of experiences and talents, all of which add greatly to the diversity of this team. They are all great people who will each support and enhance our culture. We are looking forward to merging the returners and the newcomers in a seamless transition. I would personally like to thank Deniz, Jeselle, Yinong and Arina for choosing us, as well as Nora and Anlin, who signed last fall. Welcome to the family and go Gophs!"
Ante, who enters her sophomore year, is transferring to Minnesota after playing a season with Wyoming. A staple in the Wyoming lineup, Ante held a 16-12 singles record and went 17-9 in doubles play. Ante received Mountain West's Freshman of the Week this past season when she won both her singles and doubles match at Colorado State. Prior to her Wyoming tenure, Ante graduated in 2023 and played in numerous junior tournaments such as Clay Nationals, Winter Nationals and UTR National Pathways. In May of 2023, Ante was a semifinalist of the Philippine Open and competed in ClayCourt with two wins in July of 2022. She also was the champion of the UTA National Pathway U-17 competition in December of 2021 and represented SoCal in the Pacific Cup Team.
"When I was first talking to the University of Minnesota, I felt a connection," Ante said. "It suddenly seemed all I could imagine was wearing Maroon and Gold. I knew there would be new challenges at an elevated level, but it felt manageable and worth the sacrifice to be on a team that cares for you outside of the court and pushes you. I see myself constantly exploring who I am as I explore a diverse campus. The balance of tough and gentle love to nurture myself to be a better player, a better teammate, a better student, and a better person. I made this decision for myself and I found a new home."
Ma, who is entering her sophomore year, played at St Thomas during the 2023-24 campaign. In that span, Ma played in all 21 singles matches and held a 14-4 record. She set St Thomas' DI record in singles wins in a season. In addition, she competed in 21 doubles matches and won 10, all at the No. 1 spot. Prior to her time with the Tommies, Ma won the 2021 Capital Tennis Association singles championship.
"I am excited to join the University of Minnesota and all they have to offer," Ma said. "I look forward to continuing my time in Minnesota, with coach Arterberry and being a Gopher!"
Turan, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, will be kicking off her collegiate career with the Maroon and Gold after graduating from FMV Işık Ayazağa Lisesi. The incoming freshman previously played for the 2024 U18, 2020 U14, and 2018 U12 Turkish National Teams. She holds a current ITF Junior Ranking of 648, and previously notched her career-high of 583 in April 2024.
"I chose to attend the University of Minnesota because I wanted to continue competing at a high level while receiving an amazing education. The exceptional resources available here convinced me it would be the perfect place to pursue both my academic and athletic careers."
Valitova has two years of eligibility after playing her first two seasons at Rutgers. As a sophomore, Valitova had six wins in singles and double action last year. In her freshman campaign, Valitova saw action in 20 matches, including a straight set singles win over ranked Iowa. Prior to her Rutgers tenure, Valitova was the winner of the ITF Juniors and the Tennis Europe tournaments in both singles and doubles competition. She also played beach tennis, where she was the winner of the Juniors European Championship in doubles and a member of the Russian National Beach Tennis U18 Team.
"I chose to attend the University of Minnesota for a variety of reasons," Valitova said. "I love the energy and sincerity of the coaches who truly inspire me. The U of M also has a high global ranking in my future profession of psychology and is ranked No. 4 nationally. Between athletics and academics, it was a perfect fit."
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