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Tempe, AZ – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (“ITA”) is proud to announce today the three finalists for the prestigious ITA Ann Lebedeff Leadership Award as endowed by Billie Jean King.
Representing the eighth year in with the ITA has awarded the ITA Ann Lebedeff Leadership award, this national honor was created to celebrate a recent college graduate who played college tennis, demonstrated excellence in all aspects of being a student-athlete, was a leader on his or her team, and was an influential contributor on his or her college campus and community.
The recipient of the award will have demonstrated grit (i.e. passion and perseverance towards long-term goals), a commitment to social justice and equality, and will have pushed others to be leaders in addition to demonstrating his or her own leadership.
Finalists for the 2025 ITA Ann Lebedeff Award, selected based on their exemplary efforts in all efforts that come with being a student-athlete, are: Ella Brissett (CMS), Ariel Johnson (Wisconsin), and Vanessa Mellynchuk (UAB).
“We extend our sincere congratulations to the finalists of the ITA Ann Lebedeff Leadership Award,” stated ITA CEO David Mullins. “These three finalists reflect the highest ideals of collegiate athletics with exemplary leadership, character, and service. Their commitment to excellence both on and off the court honors the legacy of this distinguished award.”
All finalists, who have already submitted personal statements as well as letters of support from coaches, teammates, and professors, will now submit a resume and letter from their institution’s President to be reviewed by the ITA Ann Lebedeff Award Selection Panel. Once determined, the winner will be awarded a post-graduate scholarship, while a $1,000 donation will be made to the award winner’s college tennis program from the ITA.
Previous winners of this prestigious award include: Esther Adehina (Tennessee, 2024), Nathan Turtledove (St. Lawrence, 2023), Caroline Vincent (Army, 2022), Victoria Flores (Georgia Tech, 2021), Daniel Park (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 2020), Andrew “Drew” Atkins (Duquesne, 2019), and Nithya Kanagasegar (Case Western Reserve, 2018).
Read more about each of the four finalists below.
Ella Brissett | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps | NCAA Division III
As a member of the CMS women’s tennis team, Ella Brissett has shined both athletically and academically, competing for national championships with the Athenas while leading several important service groups on-campus as well. As a first-generation American, tennis was often a space where Brissett felt most connected to a community and family as many of her extended family members still reside outside of America. These connections and communities drove Brissett to create similar opportunities for others on the Claremont McKenna campus. As a sophomore, Brissett founded The Women Empowerment in Sports Club which aims to build bridges between female student-athletes both throughout her campus as well as in the broader community. Through this club, Brissett and other members have helped organize alumni panels and National Girls and Women in Sports Day activities aimed at empowering elementary school girls. Meanwhile, on the court Brissett has been an integral part of the CMS women’s tennis team who won back-to-back NCAA Division III National Championships in 2022 and 2023, while also winning the ITA National Team Indoor Championship during her junior year. Upon graduation, Brissett plans to continue her studies in pursuit of becoming a physician where she hopes to continue advancing women’s health and advocating for equitable care.
Ariel Johnson | University of Wisconsin | NCAA Division I
For nearly 14 years, Ariel Johnson has been using tennis as a space where she has learned to embrace discomfort and transform challenges into growth. Now at the University of Wisconsin, Johnson has uncovered her passion for clinical therapy where she hopes to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In this field Johnson aims to channel her passion for mental health into both academic and community-based work. Off the court, Johnson has been involved with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Wisconsin as well as Badger Spill which both aim to support mental health related challenges. Additionally, Johnson has been an advocate for justice and equity across the Wisconsin campus and beyond. In her roles, Johnson has advocated for marginalized voices, volunteered with underserved communities, and leaned into academic and extracurricular spaces where she could help create change. On the court, Johnson has helped the Badger team go from an unranked program her first few years on campus to a consistently Top 20 ranked program during her time in Madison. Embracing the differences on the team, Johnson has helped cultivate a team culture rooted in accountability, resilience, and support. Next up for Johnson will be an appearance in the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Championship where she looks to continue to lead her team to new heights as a program.
Vanessa Mellynchuk | University of Alabama, Birmingham | NCAA Division I
As a college tennis player, Vanessa Mellynchuk has learned that collegiate tennis is about growth, development, and representing a community larger than herself. Rooted in the sport of tennis from a young age, Mellynchuk has used tennis to develop leadership skills that she knew would be applicable to her future endeavors as a leader both on and off the tennis court. Throughout her time at UAB, Mellynchuk has continuously worked on building a team culture that elevates traits such as hard work, resilience, grit, passion, and integrity. Through this leadership experience, Mellynchuk served on the UAB Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), where she serves on the mental health subcommittee. In this group, she works with other subcommittee members to plan events that are aimed at destigmatizing mental health issues and connecting student-athletes who may be experiencing similar mental health challenges. In addition to this service, Mellynchuk has totaled nearly 100 hours of community service while at UAB and has worked on projects that aim to connect students with various non-profits in the Birmingham area. Having career interests in criminal justice, homeland security, international relations, education, energy, healthcare, and economic inequality, Mellynchuk has also spent time on Capitol Hill and with the Governor of Alabama as an intern this past summer. Upon graduation, Mellynchuk will attend Villanova University where she will pursue a Master of Public Administration degree. Here she hopes to broaden the leadership, professional, and academic skill set she has developed while as a student-athlete at UAB.
The ITA is the governing body of college tennis and a coaches association, both an advocate and an authority for the sport and its members. The ITA is committed to serving college tennis and returning the leaders of tomorrow while promoting both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, founded in 1956, is comprised of more than 2,000 men’s and women’s varsity tennis teams representing more than 1,250 institutions, 3,000 college tennis coaches, 1,400 college tennis officials, while administering numerous regional and national championships, and the ITA College Tennis Rankings for 20,000 college varsity student-athletes across five levels of play. The ITA also bolsters an industry-leading awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership, and sportsmanship. Keep up with all of the excitement around college tennis by visiting WeAreCollegeTennis.com and following the ITA on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
