Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raider Tennis Adds Two in Early Signing Period
November 14, 2014 | Women's Tennis
Petty announces signings of Alexandra Valenstein (left) and Felicity Maltby (right)
Nov. 14, 2014
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech women's tennis program and head coach Todd Petty have announced the addition of two student-athletes who signed national letters of intent during the early signing period and will be headed to Lubbock for fall 2015.
The Lady Raiders have added Felicity Maltby (Sunnyvale, Calif.) and Alexandra Valenstein (Laguna Hills, Calif.) - both five-star recruits who make up arguably the highest profile signing class in Texas Tech women's tennis history.
"We are extremely excited to add both Felicity and Alexandra to the Lady Raider tennis program," Petty said. "Not only are they tremendous athletes on the court, but they are also extremely committed to their education. They are both elite-level competitors and extremely talented while also possessing intangibles that we look for in our student-athletes in the classroom and in the community."
FELICITY MALTBY (Class of 2015 - 5-Star Recruit - #49 Ranked Player in the Nation)
- A 5-foot-9, right-handed prospect from Sunnyvale, California ... plays for coach Tony Yang (private coach) ... ranked No. 49 in the nation (Babolat) while receiving a No. 14 ranking in the Southwest and No. 10 ranking in California ... highest career ranking came at No. 41 (12/11/13) while posting a 20-15 overall record during the past year ... owns a 19-9 record against 1-5-star prospects.
Petty on Maltby: "Felicity is someone we identified very early in the recruiting process. We felt like she had tremendous upside and she has lived up to every bit of that. She will be the sleeper in the class. Not only is she a great player but simply a great person. We expect big things from her."
Maltby on signing with Texas Tech: "I chose Texas Tech for many reasons. But most importantly, Texas Tech showed great interest in me right from the beginning. I felt they cared for me as an individual as well as a tennis player. On top of that, I really felt comfortable with the school and the teammates when I went on my unofficial and official visits. It felt like a home away from home. Also, I was extremely impressed with the academic support for student-athletes, which is very important to me. I have great confidence that Texas Tech will help me develop as a student, as a tennis player, and as a person.
Chose Texas Tech Over: UC Santa Barbara, Wake Forest, Santa Clara, Illinois, Pepperdine
ALEXANDRA VALENSTEIN (Class of 2015 - 5-Star Recruit - #29 Ranked Player in the Nation)
- A 5-foot-8, right-handed prospect from Laguna Hills, California ... plays for coach Cary Crouch (high school) and coach Sean Abdali (private coach) ... ranked No. 29 in the nation (Babolat) while receiving a No. 6 ranking in the Southwest and No. 5 ranking in California ... highest career ranking came at No. 25 (11/5/14) while posting a 30-19 overall record during the past year ... owns a 26-7 record against 1-5-star prospects.
Petty on Valenstein: "Alex was a very sought after recruit from every top team in the country. She has amazing athletic skills and an insane work ethic to match. Alex is driven to be one of the best in the NCAA's and wouldn't surprise me at all if she reaches that goal."
Valenstein on signing with Texas Tech: "I chose Texas Tech for a number of reasons. I think ultimately what helped me make my final decision and be confident it was the right decision for me was the passion and support of all the faculty members, from athletics to academics. The drive to work hard and get better that the tennis team at Texas Tech exercises every day on and off the court is a quality that I was looking for in a program and Coach Petty's commitment to making each player and the team as a whole better is the kind of energy and vision I desire. Also, the opportunities through the academic programs like those in the Rawls College of Business excite and inspire me to become an active leader in the academic community. I can't wait to make a great contribution to the tennis program and start attending Texas Tech!"
Chose Texas Tech Over: Stanford, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame.
