Virginia Men's Tennis Signs Five Players to Letters of Intent
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CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia men’s tennis team announced the signing of five players to National Letters of Intent. Jonathan Cornish (Essex, England), Mitchell Polnet (Southampton, Pa.), Harrison Richmond (Pawleys Island, S.C.), Ryan Shane (Falls Church, Va.) and Mac Styslinger (Birmingham, Ala.) will join the Cavaliers next fall.
The four American recruits are all blue chip recruits and rank among the top 30 players in the class of 2012 by tennisrecruiting.net, including the No. 2 player in the class in Styslinger. In addition, Cornish is one of the top international players entering college next year.
“These five young men represent a level of work ethic, professionalism and competitiveness that will only continue to raise the bar of excellence at UVa Men’s Tennis,” said head coach Brian Boland. “Every one of these players has the aspiration to achieve greatness as a student-athlete and down the road as professional tennis players. There is no question from a coaching staff’s perspective that this class will add significant value to our every day practice sessions and fitness workouts, but they will also make us a much tougher team to compete against beginning in the spring of 2013. The coaching staff could not be more excited about these players arriving on Grounds in the fall.”
2012 Virginia Men’s Tennis Recruiting Class
Jonathan Cornish
• Played Junior Wimbledon in 2011
• Made the finals of ITF junior tournaments in Hungary and Morocco
Cornish on Virginia: “I’m excited to be joining such a successful college team with a proven ability to develop players alongside a great academic program. This was the exact combination that I was looking for- the best of both worlds.”
Mitchell Polnet
• Blue chip recruit by tennisrecruiting.net (No. 29 overall in class of 2012)
Polnet on Virginia: “I chose UVa since I felt it was the school which would provide me with the best environment to strive as a student athlete. Brian Boland is a great coach with a phenomenal coaching record. He is very passionate about his work and I felt a great connection with him. Additionally I have known (associate coach) Andres Pedroso from an early age. Andres is a great coach and I feel very comfortable around him. In addition the academic opportunities that UVa provides are hard to find at any other college in the country. I felt UVa was the perfect combination for me as it is a fantastic school and will provide me the opportunity of playing pro tennis after college.”
Harrison Richmond
• Blue chip recruit by tennisrecruiting.net (No. 28 overall in class of 2012)
• 2011 High School All-American
• Won ITF junior doubles title in Atlanta in 2011
Richmond on Virginia: “It is a distinct honor to be offered the opportunity to play tennis at the University of Virginia. Coach Boland and his staff have established the best college tennis
program in the nation and the University has a history and academic reputation second to none. I am humbled that Coach Boland and the University have the confidence in me as a student and an athlete to succeed at such a venerable institution and I will work diligently to demonstrate that their confidence in me is well founded.”
Ryan Shane
• Blue chip recruit by tennisrecruiting.net (No. 17 overall in class of 2012)
• Younger brother of current Cavalier Justin Shane
Shane on Virginia: “I couldn’t be more excited about becoming a Virginia Cavalier. UVa’s great combination of tennis and academics – as well as its location being in my home state – made it the perfect fit for me. Also, the great coaching staff of Brian, Andres and Scott and the level of players not found anywhere else in the country made it the ideal place for me to take my game to the next level.”
Mac Styslinger
• Blue chip recruit by tennisrecruiting.net (No. 2 overall in class of 2012)
• 2011 USTA Boys 18s semifinalist (falling to current Cavalier Mitchell Frank)
• Played in all four junior Grand Slams in 2011, reaching the round of 16 of the Australian
• 2011 Easter Bowl runner-up
Styslinger on Virginia: “After much consideration, I decided to accept UVa’s offer because of the balance between athletics and academics. UVa has a proven track record in both departments and the team was very welcoming. I look forward to being a part of the Virginia Cavalier Tennis Team. GO HOOS!!!”