Vogasari transfers to Kansas tennis; eligible 2017-18
LAWRENCE, Kan. – After playing three seasons at Houston, Despoina “Debbie” Vogasari, the 2015 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Houston graduate, will transfer for her final year of eligibility to compete and continue her education at Kansas, as announced by Jayhawk head tennis coach Todd Chapman Monday.
Vogasari played No. 1 singles all three seasons for the Cougars and posted a 77-31 overall mark, while ranking as high as No. 21 nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). She was also a consistent member of UH’s No. 1 doubles team and owned a 42-27 overall record.
“We are very excited to have a player of Debbie’s caliber joining our tennis program,” said Chapman. “Debbie is the most-decorated recruit to join our program in my time here with both her college and professional accomplishments. Debbie has entrusted us with her final year of tennis and our goal is to help make next year the best year of her college career on and off the court.
“Coach (Caroline) Lilley did a really great job in Debbie’s recruitment and deserves the lion’s share of the credit. We believe Debbie is going to be a great addition to our team and we can’t wait to get her on campus to start working with her.”
The Athens, Greece native, in addition to being named the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Year in 2015, was also a three-time AAC First-Team selection and the league’s 2014 freshman of the year award winner. The conference recognized Vogasari five times as the player of the week and four times as the player of the month. She was also named to the league’s all-academic team in 2014-15.
Vogasari was selected to play in both the 2015 and 2016 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship, as well as the 2015 NCAA Singles Championship. In 2014, she was crowned the USTA/ITA Texas Regional Champion.
“The University of Kansas is one of the top programs in the country and one that I have admired for a very long time,” Vogasari said. “Coach Chapman and Coach Lilley are both great people and coaches and I believe they can help me take my tennis to the next level as well as help me succeed in life after college.
“I enjoyed every minute of my visit this past weekend and I was impressed by the culture of the team. I am excited to start a new journey with this renowned team, coaching staff and university.”
According to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Vogasari ranks as high as No. 508 in the world. She has won three ITF Women’s 10 K Singles titles and was a finalist in three others. In international doubles play, Vogasari has won an ITF Women’s 10 K Doubles title, while being a finalist in five other events. She also represented Greece in Fed Cup play during 2013.
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
