TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State women's tennis head coach Sheila McInerney and the Sun Devils signed local talent Savannah Slaysman for the 2016-17 season.
Slaysman, who is from Arizona Connections Academy, is listed as the No. 2 recruit from the state of Arizona and No. 28 nationally according to tennisrecruiting.net.
"We are thrilled to have Savannah join our women's tennis program and the Sun Devil family," McInerney said. "Savannah has been coming to our tennis matches since she was 8 years old so it is a dream come true for us to have Savannah as a Sun Devil. We are so looking forward to her arrival in August."
As far as how soon Slaysman can come in and make an impact, McInerney doesn't expect her to waste any time and should be an easy transition for her.
"Savannah will be a great fit for our program as she is an incredible person, an excellent student and a tennis player who I believe will blossom in college," McInerney said. "We feel that Savannah will come in and make an immediate impact in both singles and doubles. In addition to being a strong singles player, Savannah has always been regarded as one of the top doubles players in the country. So that is an aspect of her game that we are equally excited about.
With the Sun Devils graduating two of their top players in seniors Desirae Krawczyk and Stephanie Vlad, McInerney is thrilled to have the talent of Slaysman coming in to help fill that void.
"Very rarely do juniors come in with the doubles skills that Savannah possesses," McInerney said. "She will be fun to watch. We graduate a local product in Stephanie Vlad who has been a key player for us so it is nice to have another Arizona girl step into that role. I'm very excited for Savannah's future as a Sun Devil."