Women's Tennis | 8/11/2016 3:32:00 PM

STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern women's tennis coach Michele Stanford announced Thursday the addition of three newcomers to the program in freshmen Nicole Gilner and Arianne De Winter, as well as junior Ella Monsey.

"I am really looking forward to having Ella, Nikki and Arianne join our team this fall," Stanford said. "Each of these athletes will bring strong tennis backgrounds to our program, continuing to make the Lady Eagles even tougher to face in competition. All three of the girls have very different game styles, and the variations in their games will help create even more depth in our current line-up. Our team has been competing at a high level of tennis over the past couple of years, and I know that each of these new student-athletes will definitely be a positive addition to our current team. I am really looking forward to helping them train this season and watch their games improve throughout their four years as a Georgia Southern Eagle."


Arianne de Winter, 5-11, Nieuwerkerk aan den Ijssel, Netherlands/Thorbecke Voortgezet Onderwijs
Prep: Arianne de Winter competed with the club team TV Victoria coached by Raymond Schot, which is a part of the Vantage Tennis Academy in Rotterdam, Netherlands. She attended Thorbecke high school, where she was a letter winner for four years.
de Winter: "Since I started high school, my dream was to play college tennis in the U.S. and become a member of a women's tennis team. The main reasons behind this dream are the combination of the American sport mentality, playing in a team setting and combining tennis with an academic study. I've chosen Georgia Southern out of all the options because of the amazing Skype conversations with the coach and the enthusiastic chats with the teammates. On top of that, I'm able to choose between studies I prefer to follow. I'm sure that Georgia Southern is the place where I want to let my dream become a reality."


Nicole Gilner, 5-4, Woodstock, Ga./Etowah High School
Prep: Gilner finished her high school career at Etowah High School with a record of 51-12. The 2016 Wendy's Heisman award winner, as well as the 2015-2016 doubles MVP, Gilner earned all-county honors from 2012-2016, as well as all-region in 2015. Etowah High School finished as the 2016 6A State Runner-Up her senior year. Gilner was also the 2015 Wilson Collegiate Sportsmanship Award winner while playing with her club team, the Kerri McGee 18U Gold.
Gilner: "My junior year of high school I started volunteering at a local hospital and knew that I wanted to be a nurse. When I was looking for a school that had both competitive tennis and a great nursing program, Georgia Southern was the perfect choice."


Ella Monsey, 5-9, Ipswich, England/Ipswich High School (Long Beach State University)
Prep: Competed at Long Beach State University in 2014-2015. Posted a 3-1 record in singles matches. In the Beach Tennis Winter Classic, defeated all three opponents to go undefeated for the tour (3-0). In high school, she reached as high as No. 6 in the UK's U18 rankings and was a top-100 ranked played in the UK. Named Suffolk Junior Tennis Player of the Year three times. 
Monsey: "I am really looking forward to joining Georgia Southern. The girls have been extremely welcoming already. I can't wait to be part of a supportive team and compete for the Eagles!"