Hannah Butcher from Little Rock, Ark., and
Jayden Morrison from London, Ontario, Canada, have signed national letters-of-intent to continue their education and tennis careers at Kentucky Wesleyan College, according to Panther head coach Eric Larue.
Butcher, a four-year letterwinner at Mount St. Mary Academy, earned a No. 18 ranking in the state of Arkansas and has an Ratings Percentage Index of 7th in the United States Tennis Association Southwest Region for 18-year olds.
She helped the Belles to four straight conference titles, the 2008 state championship and the 2009 state runner-up finish as a senior. Butcher received Scholar-Athlete recognition and Honor Roll Society membership. She is the daughter of Stephen and Michelle Butcher and will major in biology.
"Hannah is a very talented player that has a well rounded game,” said Larue. "She's solid on every shot. Her experience as a member of a state championship team will bring that winning mentality to our program."
Morrison, a four-year letterwinner at A.B. Lucas High School, earned two trips to the Ontario state championships where she finished eighth in singles as a senior. She currently ranks sixth in the Women's Open Division of the Ontario Tennis Association in compiling multiple Top 10 finishes,
She has been ranked as high as 66th nationally in Canada. Her other athletic accomplishments including winning the London Conference in badminton and earning the Most Valuable Player Award on the track squad. She is the daughter of Dave Morrison and will major in business administration.
"Jayden's very aggressive baseliner that likes to move forward on her volleys," says LaRue. "She's an impact player who will fit very well with our singles and doubles positions. Her talents will help us win a lot of matches during the next four seasons."
