Cyclones Sign Two

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State tennis program has signed two preps to National Letters of Intent, head coach Boomer Saia announced Monday.

Saia and assistant coach Kenna Kilgo have signed Miska Kadleckova and Ellie Murphy, a pair of preps that are expected to continue the rise in Cyclone tennis.

Kadleckova, a Banska Bystrica, Slovakia native, had a career-high ITF junior ranking of 82 and her career-best UTR was 11.25.

Kadleckova qualified and participated in the US Open Junior Main Draw in singles and doubles, as well as Wimbledon Junior Main Draw doubles. She was a finalist in singles ITF grade J2 Piestany, in addition to being a doubles champion at ITF J1 San Jose and ITF J1 Cuenca, Ecuador.

"We are thrilled to have Miska join the Cyclone tennis program," Saia said. "She is a world class player that will come in with a ton of international experience, as well as junior grand slam experience. Miska's personality and work ethic are a perfect fit for what we are building here in Ames and we are very eager to have her as a Cyclone."

Murphy, a native of Dublin, Ireland, owns a UTR career high of 9.90. She has advanced to quarterfinals in singles action at the ITF Belfast J5 and in doubles action at the 15K Dublin.

"Ellie's character and ability is special," Saia said. "She can strike a ball as good as any player out there and is one of the best up and coming players in Ireland. Ellie will greatly impact our program and fit right into our team culture. We are extremely excited to have Ellie choose Iowa State and join our program."

About Kadleckova
Why Iowa State? I chose Iowa State University because, personally, it created the best experience for the next four years for me as a tennis player. During the time of my official visit, I really enjoyed it and saw myself having the most beneficial college experience. The coach, staff and girls on the team are amazing and friendly, which is also an important aspect for me as a developing student athlete. In terms of school surroundings, it resembled my home and the nature reminded me my home country Slovakia, I can't wait to be part of it! For the most part, I am excited that I will be a part of one team and one big family, which will support you no matter what. We will have so much fun there and it will be a big adventure for me.

What are your hobbies outside of tennis? Outside of tennis, I really do enjoy participating in other hobbies. For example, in our family we all really like watching other sports, especially ice hockey. My dad has connections with some professional NHL ice hockey players as he is a hockey agent. I enjoy going to ice hockey and supporting them. In addition, it is also a big motivation for me, as they exhibit the work ethic in a major sport. I hope to be as famous as these pros because their lifestyle is very unique. I also love travelling, I have a travel map at home and I am always planning different ways to explore the world. It's been a dream of mine to travel the world since I was a little girl.

About Murphy
Why Iowa State? The coaching staff was a huge reason why I chose Iowa State. From the first time I talked to Boomer, I knew we would get along really well and he seemed like such a positive person to be around, which was definitely something I was looking for in a coach. When I visited ISU, I met Kenna and got along great with her too. I found the team and all the people there to be so friendly and of course the campus was amazing and like nothing I'd ever seen before! I instantly knew that this was the place for me. There are so many things that I'm excited about, but I can't wait to be part of a team and play for my college, my teammates and my coaches!

Do you have any hobbies outside tennis?
When I'm not playing tennis, you'll definitely find me listening to music. I love all types of music, but what I listen to really just depends on what kind of mood I'm in! I also love going to the gym and spending time with my friends and family.

Iowa State University Athletics

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