HARROGATE, Tenn. - Head men's and women's tennis coach Marc Walters announced his 2020 class Friday, with seven newcomers joining the Lincoln Memorial University tennis program. 

"We had immediate needs in roster depth for both teams, and this group goes a long way in helping us become stronger in the lineup," Walters said.

On the women's side, there are three newcomers: Mae Fitzgerald and Claudie Quinn, who hail from England and Scotland, respectively, and Haley White, who comes to LMU from Maysville, Ky. All three signed this past spring, and Fitzgerald and White started classes this fall, while Quinn will join the team at the beginning of the spring semester.

Mae Fitzgerald | Freshman |  Abbot Bromley, England
Fitzgerald is a talented player with an active doubles style and quick hands. She will add an excellent level of aggressiveness and challenge for immediate playing time.
"Mae is a talented girl who is very assertive on the court and at the net," noted Walters. "We see her getting a lot of reps in doubles early on. She is perhaps the best athlete on our team, and has a ton of upside."

Claudie Quinn | Freshman | Glasgow, Scotland
Walters is counting on Quinn to step in and challenge for a starting spot in the spring. She is currently at home training for the upcoming season.

Haley White | Freshman | Maysville, Ky.
White played multiple sports in high school, excelling on the tennis and basketball courts, and is a recipient of the prestigious LMU Trustee Scholarship.
"We think Haley has tremendous potential for us," Walters said. "She has the work ethic and coachability to take her game to a good level. Her athleticism is obvious, but her determination and motivation will be the reason for her success here."

Shifting to the men's side, there are four newcomers: Oscar Bailey, Luca Pavan, and Thomas Turner, who all hail from England, and Nikita Dashkov, who comes to LMU from Ukraine.

Oscar Bailey | Freshman | Poole, England
Bailey has the singles skills to challenge for a spot in the lineup immediately, and has shown flashes of brilliance already through the first few weeks of practice.

Nikita Dashkov | Freshman | Kharkiv, Ukraine
Dashkov is also challenging for a singles spot immediately, and like Bailey, has already shown his skills over the first few weeks of the fall.

Luca Pavan | Freshman | Walderslade, England
Pavan is a talented doubles player who finishes off points well and has a nose for the ball on the court. He will help the Railsplitters more evenly pair their doubles teams in the spring.

Thomas Turner | Freshman | Guernsey, England
Turner is also a talented doubles player who brings a unique aspect to the program, as he is 6'6. A powerful left-hander, he immediately adds a different look to the LMU lineup.

Overall, Walters hopes that this group will help develop depth in the lineup, and give the team a competitive boost going into this year's spring schedule

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