University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Women's Tennis Signs Ong to NLI
December 18, 2019 | Women's Tennis
LOS ANGELES โย Vanessa Ong signed a National Letter of Intent with UCLA, becoming the latest Blue-Chip talent to sign with the women's tennis program.
Head coach Stella Sampras Webster announced the signing of Ong, who will join the team in time for the 2020-21 season. Hailing from Oklahoma City, Ong is currently taking classes through Laurel Springs School.
The 5-foot-6 right-hander continues to be a staple in the top five of her class according to TennisRecruiting.net, earning Blue-Chip status. She has been slotted as high as No. 2 on the list.
"We are really excited to have Vanessa join our team next season," said Sampras Webster. "As one of the top Blue-Chip recruits, she has played at the highest level and is a great competitor and will contribute to our team's success right away. I expect her to be an integral part of our quest for the Pac-12 and NCAA championships."
A frequent winner of USTA Missouri Valley events early in her career, Ong broke onto the national scene with strong showings at a pair of USTA championships in 2015. She earned a berth into the 2016 US Open junior tournament, where she won three singles matches before falling to current WTA No. 5 Bianca Andreescu of Canada on the Grandstand court.
Ong reached the quarterfinal rounds of the Eddie Herr Girls' 18 doubles and Orange Bowl Girls' 18 singles draws, respectively, in 2017. She has since earned trips to the 2018 Easter Bowl Girls' 18 doubles semifinal round and the 2018 USTA International Spring Championships Girls' 18 singles quarters.
Ong was a standout performer at the 2018 USTA Billie Jean King National Championships, registering quarterfinal-round showings in the Girls' 18 singles and doubles draws. On the singles side, she upset a pair of higher-seeded counterparts before losing to No. 1 and eventual finalist Kayla Day in three sets.
Of late, Ong has been a regular in midwest Futures events. She claimed the top spot in September's Lawrence, Kansas 15K after advancing through qualifying rounds.
