DeAndra Saddler Inks With MSU's Women's Tennis Program
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State women's tennis coach Tracy Lane has announced the signing of DeAndra Saddler to a national letter-of-intent to join the Lady Bulldog tennis program.
Saddler comes to the MSU campus from Alpharetta, Ga., and prepped at Chattahoochee High School. At CHS, she was a four-year letterwinner and was named team MVP in 2005 and 2006 after sporting an undefeated record at the No. 1 position during the 2005 campaign. She was named honorable mention all-Area by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after her final high school season. In 2003, she led the Cougars to the 5A Tennis State Championship with an overall record of 15-2.
During her four-year stint as a Cougar, she only dropped seven matches. Saddler was also active in other extracurricular activities within CHS. She was a leader for the senior class with the student council, worked in the school office as an aide along with being a member of DECA, FCA and the Spanish Club. Saddler spends time as a volunteer coach with the Special Olympics tennis program.
"We are really excited about DeAndra joining us in the fall. She is a really good athlete with a solid transitional game. We look to her making an immediate step into our lineup. She is coming into the program with great junior experience," said Tracy Lane. "We are equally excited about what she can bring off the court. She is a quality person and comes from a wonderful family."
Saddler, an active participant on the junior tours, she has competed in numerous USTA sanctioned events with the state of Georgia and the Southeast. In 2003, Saddler received the sportsmanship award at the Bullfrog STA Super Circuit. She is currently ranked 24th in the Georgia 18 Girls USTA rankings. Saddler is also among the top-100 of the Class of 2006 according to TennisRecruiting.net.
"I really liked the program when I visited and I got along great with the girls on the team," said Saddler.
She is the daughter of Delton and Dorothea Saddler and has an older sister, Kamilah, who participated in track at Furman University, and younger brother, Jared. Saddler plans on majoring in communication with an emphasis in sports.