A native of Greenville, N.C., who earned a degree in sociology this past May, Herring concluded her Bulldog career as a five-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American on the court and a three-time Academic All-American in the classroom.
“It was really exciting getting the news about the scholarship and learning more about the background of this grant along with the other student-athlete that got one too,” said Herring. “It’s such an honor to be a part of this group, and it’s a great opportunity that will help out when I continue with my academics. Currently, I’m focused on my professional tennis career. During my time at Georgia, I was considering going to law school, however now I’m thinking more about the medical field. I really enjoyed Athens and the University of Georgia, and I would love to come back. I would like to thank everyone who helped me along the way including Rachel Jones my academic adviser, Glada Horvat in the athletic department plus my coaches Jeff (Wallace) and Drake (Bernstein).”
Herring is the fourth Georgia student-athlete this year to receive an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, joining swimmers Maddie Locus, Nic Fink and Jordan Mattern. It marks the first time since 1997 that Georgia has had four recipients. Herring is only the second women’s tennis student-athlete to receive this honor, joining Lianna Bebeau in 1988. The Bulldogs have had 74 student-athletes earn an NCAA postgraduate scholarship including a streak of having at least one winner since 2007.
To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must be nominated by his or her athletic department, have an overall grade-point average of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent, and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which he or she was nominated. The student-athlete also must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.
Herring finished second in school history with a combined 238 wins and second all-time in UGA history with 118 doubles victories. Herring ended the 2015 season ranked No. 7 nationally in singles and No. 6 in doubles with Ellen Perez. Herring is a four-time ITA Scholar-Athlete. She earned a Ramsey Scholarship and an SEC Community Service Postgraduate Scholarship. This past season, Herring helped Georgia advance to the NCAA Final Four, the ITA National Team Indoor Finals and the SEC Tournament Championship final. Georgia posted a 24-7 record and a No. 5 final national ranking.
Herring’s professional tennis career is underway. Recently, she reached the singles and doubles final of the Charlotte (N.C.) Clay Court Classic, a $10,000 USTA event. Her summer schedule features tournaments in Indiana, Texas, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and New York. Recently, she accepted a bid to play in the American Collegiate Invitational, an elite event in New York held during the second week of the US Open in September.