2016 ITA Scholar-Athletes

SKILLMAN, N.J. -- Demonstrating excellence both on the court and in the classroom, Academy of Art University women's tennis freshman Taisiia Andrieieva was named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete on Thursday.

In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status, a player must meet the following criteria: 1. be a varsity letter winner, 2. have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year, and 3. have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters (including freshman through senior year).

"It is not surprising to see Taisiia receive this honor because all year long she has worked really hard at her craft, something she has been extremely passionate about since the moment I first met her," said head coach Nicole Briceño-Garzón. "I am really proud of her for pushing herself in the classroom and wanting to become the best version of herself each day. It's not easy to achieve this honor as a freshman and the fact she settles for nothing less than that is really inspiring to see as her coach."

While playing more singles matches in ART U's number one position than any other artist-athlete, Andrieieva simultaneously delivered a stellar 3.66 GPA in the School of Writing for Film, Television & Digital Media. 

Andrieieva is the sixth Urban Knight to ever be named an ITA Scholar-Athlete, following in the footsteps of three recipients in 2015 and two in 2014.