Northwestern University Team Page
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern head women's tennis coach Claire Pollard has announced the signing of a stellar three-member class to National Letters of Intent to join the Wildcats for the 2013-14 season.
Maddie Lipp (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest), Manon Peri (Los Angeles, Calif./Laurel Springs School) and Jillian Rooney (Canton, Mass./Canton) comprise the talented group that will matriculate to Evanston in the fall.
"Adding three players of this caliber is going to help continue the tradition of greatness in our program," Pollard said. "All three bring enthusiasm and a high level of ability. They will be a class to remember."
Complete bios on each of the signees follow.
Jillian Rooney
Canton, Mass./Canton
High School: Top-ranked junior player in New England and ranked in top 20 nationally ... Rated as a blue chip recruit by TennisRecruiting.net ... Spent first two prep years at Thayer Academy ... Posted a victory over 2012 U.S. Open Junior champion Samantha Crawford ... Finished fourth in 16s singles at the Clay Court Championships and fourth in doubles in 18s at Winter Nationals ... Two-time New England Prep School Class A singles champion ... Named to Boston Globe and Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic Teams ... ISL all-league and MVP ... First played varsity tennis as a sixth-grader ... Honor roll student .. Recipient of Century Club Award.
Personal: Born Jillian Shea Rooney ... Daughter of John and Jeanne Rooney ... Father played hockey at RPI ... Uncle, Brian Noonan, played 12 seasons in the NHL, including with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers ... Chose Northwestern over Boston College, Notre Dame, Michigan and Vanderbilt.
Pollard on Rooney: "A tenacious gritty player, Jillian fits perfectly into our program's philosophy. She will always demand the very best from herself in whatever she is doing. She exemplifies what being a Wildcat is all about."
Maddie Lipp
Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest
High School: Has been ranked as high as No. 4 in the country among all girls 18 and under ... Rated as a blue chip recruit by TennisRecruiting.net ... 2012 IHSA State Doubles Champion and member of team state championship ... All-Section ... Completed undefeated doubles season ... 2010 IHSA State Champions ... All-State and all-conference selection ... Posted undefeated singles season ... Team MVP ... Recipient of Coaches Award, Chicago Sun-Times Athlete of the Week ... Lake Forest High School Athletic Wall of Fame recipient ... High school coach is Denise Murphy.
Personal: Born Madeline Kendall Lipp ... Daughter of Kathy and Roman Lipp.
Pollard on Lipp: "We have known Maddie for a while and she was someone we had to have for our program. She will bring so much to our team in both doubles, singles and as a teammate. Having a local player does wonders for your program and Maddie will help elevate us to a whole new level."
Manon Peri
Los Angeles, Calif./Laurel Springs School
High School: Ranked No. 27 junior player nationally and No. 5 in the state of California and the Southwest Region ... Attended Immaculate Heart High School for first three years before attending Laurel Springs School as a senior ... Won USTA Regional tournament in July 2012 ... Finished first in three national tournament in the 16s and 18s divisions ... Recipient of Scholar Athlete Award ... Coached by Zack Fleishman, a former pro on the ATP tour.
Personal: Born Manon Cristina Peri ... Daughter of Jerome Peri and Cristina Peri ... Mother played tennis at UC Berkeley ... Grandfather played soccer professionally in France and was a member of the French national team ... Chose Northwestern over Pepperdine, Rice, Colorado and UC Santa Barbara ... Notable alums of her high school are Tyra Banks and Mary Tyler Moore.
Pollard on Peri: "Manon is only going to get better in college. She has risen rapidly in the rankings over the past year and her best is still to come. She can play every shot and you will see her full array of weapons as she competes as a Wildcat."
