Congratulations to Valley City State University in Valley City, N.D., as it was named the 2018 USTA Tennis On Campus National Club of the Year.
"I am incredibly proud of this team," coach Erik Kringlie said. "They work hard in practice, in matches, and most importantly, off the court to not only improve the team but have a positive effect on their university and their community."
Established in 2004, Valley City State boasted its second-largest team ever with 14 players and raised over $5,000 this season. Playing in all five TOC USTA Northern events offered this year, the team finished with a program high 17-6 regular-season record. The Vikings took home the Silver Bracket title at the 2018 USTA Northern Section Championships.
For the ninth year, the team played host to the Viking Invitational in September and then co-hosted the first-ever Tennis On Campus Northern Border Battle in January which saw teams from North Dakota and Minnesota faceoff against each other for bragging rights. North Dakota won the inaugural tournament.
Off the court, the team is making a huge impact in the community as it works with the university, schools, the Valley City Tennis Association (VCTA) and the local park and rec. The club hosts an annual campus tennis tournament for players and non-players creating a connection with students, campus staff and faculty. They also partner with the VCTA to coach a USTA World Team Tennis team, serve as court monitors during the Valley City Junior Level 6 tournament, provide volunteers to help run a Tennis Block Party for the community each May and assist with high school drill nights in the summer and during the season. Club president Paige Fettig serves on the Valley City Tennis Association Board of Directors, and this summer, Fettig and her teammates participated in the Valley City Summer Adult League.
The team also partnered with the VCTA to collect gently-used racquets and equipment in supporting USTA Northern’s Play it Forward campaign and donated $400 to the Valley City Park and Recreation summer tennis program.
“VCSU is one of the premier programs in our Section,” USTA Northern Director of Junior Teams Brandon Jackson said. “Not only have they hosted two events on top of traveling to every series event, but they also helped mentor a new program and volunteered with countless opportunities in their community. VCSU is a club and community that more people should look to use as a model for building future programs.”
Valley City becomes the third team from USTA Northern to win the national Tennis On Campus Club of the Year Award. The University of Minnesota and North Dakota State also have received the honor.
