Aug. 16, 2006

Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's tennis team has been named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Team for the 2005-06 season. Three Tigers; Yelena Olshanskaya, Hana Kraftova and Charlotte Bellis, also were named ITA Scholar Athletes.

The ITA All-Academic Team award is open to any ITA program that has a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above. Ninety-one Division I Women's programs and six other Big 12 teams were selected to the unit as well.

Missouri finished last season with a record of 10-11, including a 9-1 non-conference mark. After losing No. 1 singles player Kraftova to an injury early in the season, the young Tigers earned valuable experience that will benefit them in 2007. This season the Tigers return six letter winners from last year's team.

In addition to the team award, three Tigers were also named ITA Scholar-Athletes. Olshanskaya, Kraftova and Bellis earned their first career ITA Scholar awards.

In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status, a student-athlete must be a varsity letter winner, have a grade point average of at least 3.50 for the current academic year, and have been enrolled at their present school for at least 2 semesters.

Olshanskaya, who is majoring in elementary education, is entering her senior season at Mizzou. She had a productive junior year, notching a record of 13-15 and finishing the year ranked 28th in the Final ITA Central Region Singles Rankings. She moved into the No. 1 singles position after Kraftova was injured early in the season. Olshanskaya's season ended in the Big 12 Championships when she suffered a knee injury in her match against Oklahoma State's Iryna Tkachenko.

Kraftova graduated from Missouri in May with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Kraftova's senior season was cut short by a back injury. She was 4-3 in the spring at the No. 1 singles position before her season-ending injury. Kraftova finished her career with a singles record of 53-51. Her 53 victories are good enough for 10th place in career singles wins at Mizzou. Her nine doubles victories last season moved her into sixth place in career doubles wins.

Bellis is entering her junior year at Missouri after earning a 4-7 singles record last season, playing in the No. 5 and No. 6 singles positions. She is majoring in broadcast journalism at Mizzou and interned at Columbia's ABC-TV affiliate, KMIZ, over the summer.

In April, five Tigers were named to the 2006 Academic All-Big 12 Tennis Team. Olshanskaya, Kraftova, Kelly Crull, Erika Josbena and Lubica Nadasska were named to the first team.

The Tigers are busy preparing for the upcoming fall season. Visit mutigers.com to find the 2006-07 schedule when it is released.