Women's Tennis Has Nation-Leading Nine Players Named ITA All-Academic

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's tennis team is just a week away from opening its fall season at home with the Bucknell Fall Invite, but the Bison already have an accomplishment to hang their hat on. Nine players from the 2015-16 squad landed a spot on the ITA All-Academic Team. The nine honorees were tied for the most in the nation with Quinnipiac, Dayton and Western Carolina.

Additionally, Bucknell was tabbed as an ITA All-Academic Team. The Bison posted an outstanding 3.50 GPA during the spring semester.

The team was led academically by the two senior captains last season. Maria Cioffi, a mathematics major, and Stephanie Pino, a markets, innovation and design major, each earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. They were joined on the Dean's List by Mishi Papich, Melissa Parks, Alexandra Burak, Emilie Bush, Jorie Fox, Danielle Gannon and Madeline Melch.

The ITA All-Academic Team award is open to any ITA program that has a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale). All varsity letter winners should be factored into the cumulative team GPA for the current academic year (including fall 2015 and spring 2016).

In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status a player must meet the following criteria: 1.) be a varsity letter winner, 2.) have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year, and 3.) have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters (including freshman through senior year).

Bucknell Players on ITA All-Academic Team
Alexandra Burak, undeclared
Emilie Bush, global management
Maria Cioffi, mathematics
Jorie Fox, environmental studies
Danielle Gannon, undeclared
Madeline Melch, Psychology
Mishi Papich, undeclared
Melissa Parks, economics/political science
Stephanie Pino, markets, innovation & design