INDIANAPOLIS -- The IUPUI Department of Athletics and Head Women’s Tennis Coach Cameron Benjamin have announced the signing of two players to National Letters of Intent for the 2009-10 season.  Hunter Bullock (Terre Haute, Ind./South) and Vanessa Whyte (London, England/Liberty Christian) will join the Jaguars beginning in the fall.

The duo rounds out a stellar signing class for the IUPUI women’s tennis program, as coach Cameron Benjamin has signed six of the top 50 players in the Indiana girls tennis rankings.  Bullock and Whyte join Jesika Bays (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville), Bailey Maryfield (Bloomfield, Ind./Bloomfield), Shelby Hullett (Martinsville, Ind./Indian Creek) and Janel Seng (Jasper, Ind./Jasper) in the incoming class.

“The additions of Hunter and Vanessa round out our class nicely,” Benjamin said.  “I think both of them, along with our other four additions, will compete for immediate playing time and hopefully help us reach our goals of returning to The Summit League and NCAA Tournaments.

“All of our signees are very familiar with each other after playing numerous junior tennis and  tournament competitions against each other, which should help us build strong team camaraderie from the first day of practice.”

Bullock starred at Terre Haute South High School, playing No. 1 singles for the Braves in all four years of her career.  A three-star recruit according to TennisRecruiting.net, Bullock helped take Terre Haute South to the semi-state finals in the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) tournament.

Ranked seventh in the state of Indiana, Bullock also holds a ranking of 336 in the nation.

Whyte is just behind Bullock in both the state and national rankings, holding the No. 10 spot in the state of Indiana and is ranked 400th in the nation.  The United States Tennis Association (USTA) gives Whyte a Midwest ranking of 146, while TennisRecruiting.net lists Whyte as a two-star recruit.

Originally from London, England, Whyte now lives in Muncie, Ind., where she attends Liberty Christian High School.  A participant in the World Team Tennis Junior Nationals, Whyte has won seven USTA singles tournament and two doubles tournaments.  While competing in England, Whyte ranked as high as 21st in the Lawn Tennis Association-Essex (LTA) rankings.  She won one LTA tournament during that time.

The IUPUI women’s tennis team will begin the 2009-10 season with flight-play matches in the fall.