Elite of College Tennis: The Swiss

This week we are highlighting the top 10 Swiss men and women playing college tennis, as rated by the UTR system. The men’s top 10 is comprised of four juniors, three seniors, and three sophomores. The women’s top 10 is comprised of six seniors, two juniors, and two freshmen. I did a profile on three men and three women and listed their accomplishments to show you why each belongs in the UTR top 10. Men 1. Alexander Ritschard (University of Virginia) The senior from Zurich was injured for most of his junior season but he came strong this season and was named All-ACC Second Team. Ritschard was named to the National Team Indoor Championship All-Tournament Team after going undefeated in singles while his team won the title for the first time since 2013. Ritschard had played primarily at No. 4 and No. 5 singles up until this season but after starting the year at No. 5 he worked his way up to the top spot and finished the regular season with a 21-5 dual-match record. Ritschard picked up three ranked wins during the season and is currently ranked No. 91 in the latest Oracle/ITA singles rankings. 2. Daniel Valent (Vanderbilt University) The junior from Zurich will be participating in the NCAA Singles Championship for the second year in a row after winning 23 matches this season. Valent went 10-4 in the fall with his best results coming at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championship (semifinal) and the Commodore Scramble (5-0). During the dual-match season, Valent started 20 matches at No. 1 singles and picked up six ranked wins. Valent currently has an Oracle/ITA singles ranking of No. 43. 3. Adam Moundir (Old Dominion University) The junior from Luzern was just named the Conference USA Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Moundir kicked off the season by winning a pair of matches at the ITA All-American Championships and then a few weeks later he defeated three top 50 opponents before falling in the semifinals at the Oracle ITA Masters. Moundir went 17-4 in dual-match play, with all starts coming at the top spot in the lineup, and defeated two ranked players plus he led the top ranked player in the country in a match that went unfinished. Moundir is currently ranked No. 53 in the latest Oracle/ITA singles rankings and he will be participating in the NCAA Singles Championships in the next few weeks. Women 1.Danielle Spielmann (University of Alabama) The senior from Riehen just closed out her collegiate career by leading the team with 19 singles wins plus she was named the Southeastern Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year. Spielmann started off her final season by winning a singles flight at the Rice Invitational and then she made it to the quarterfinals at the ITA Southern Regional Championships. During the dual-match season, Spielmann picked up a pair of ranked wins while playing at No. 3 and she finished the season by winning four of her final six matches. 5. Samantha Koelliker (Francis Marion University) The senior from Vielbringen capped off a stellar career by being named All-Peach Belt Conference for the fourth time. Koelliker earned first team honors in singles after going 15-4 with all but one match coming at the top spot in the singles lineup. Koelliker went 3-1 on the year against ranked opponents and is ranked No. 22 in the most recent Oracle/ITA Division II singles rankings. 8. Amanda Schneider (University of Northwestern Ohio) The freshman from Zurich was named the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year after winning 31 matches on the season. Back in the fall, Schneider won the ITA NAIA Midwest Regional Championship and then she defeated a pair of ranked opponents at the ITA Oracle Cup. Schneider closed out the fall by winning the top singles flight at the Youngstown State Invitational. In dual-match play, Schneider went 18-6 with all but one match coming at No. 1 and she defeated seven ranked opponents. Schneider is ranked No. 12 in the most recent Oracle/ITA NAIA singles rankings. The women’s top 10 is loaded full of seniors so next year’s list will look considerably different! About UTR The Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) system provides tennis players worldwide a common scale for determining their level of play. The 16-level scale (from beginners to elite world-class professionals), precisely and reliably determines individual players’ ratings based on actual match results without regard for age, gender or where the matches are played. The Universal Tennis website allows visitors to view more than three million tennis results. College tennis coaches utilize UTR ratings for recruiting, for scouting opponents, and also to track the levels of their current players. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) currently uses UTR ratings to assist with selections and seedings for select regional and national events. A UTR subscription is required to search and view player ratings on the UTR system, with pricing starting at forever free for UTR Basic. The UTR Premium Plus allows subscribers access to search and view college team profiles.

1. Alexander Ritschard Jr University of Virginia
2. Daniel Valent Jr Vanderbilt University
3. Adam Moundir Jr Old Dominion University
4. Enzo Sommer So University of Washington
5. Matej Kostadinov So University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
6. Jeremy Moser So Fresno State University
7. Florian Uffer Sr Longwood University
8. Umberto Setter Jr New York University
9. Henrik Munch Sr Rice University
10. Niclas Genovese Jr University of Miami (Florida)

1. Danielle Spielmann Sr University of Alabama
2. Elisa Elhadj Fr California State University, Northridge
3. Megane Bianco Jr Keiser University
4. Anja Luethi Jr University of New Orleans
5. Samantha Koelliker Sr Francis Marion University
6. Gaelle Rey Sr San Jose State University
7. Amanda Schneider Sr University of Northwestern Ohio
8. Nadine Tusiama Fr University of South Carolina, Aiken
9. Lea Winkler Sr Drexel University
10. Luma Schwab Sr Concordia University Irvine

Feature Photo: Danielle Spielmann of University of Alabama (Credit: Alabama Crimson Tide)