SKILLMAN, N.J. (Aug. 24) – The California University of Pennsylvania tennis team was recently honored as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team for the seventh-consecutive year and six players were named ITA Scholar-Athletes.

Senior Nina Kowalski (Hofheim, Germany/Man Taunus), a business administration major, received ITA Scholar-Athlete status for the third-straight year. In the spring semester, she also was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II selection by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Juniors Axelle Fernandez (Toulouse, France/Institut Familial), an international studies major, and Mariana Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Martha Falcao), a computer engineering technology major, both repeated as ITA Scholar-Athletes.

Sophomores Jutta Bornefeld (Varel, Germany/Lother-Meyer Gymnasium), an athletic training major, and Jade Pondicas (Johannesburg, South Africa/British International Distance), a sport management major, both earned the academic honor for the first time. Newcomer Julia Cohen (Philadelphia, Pa./Laurel Springs), a sport management major, also received the academic honor.

The six ITA Scholar-Athletes matches the program record set in 2006-07. The Vulcans have featured at least one ITA Scholar-Athlete in seven-straight years.

The ITA All-Academic Team award for 2009-10 was given to those programs that had a cumulative team grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale). In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status a player must be a varsity letter winner, have a GPA of at least 3.50 for the current academic year and have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters.