June 11, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina women’s tennis team’s recruiting class for next season is ranked No. 12 in the nation and tops in the Southeastern Conference according to TennisRecruiting.net. Paige Cline, Rachel Rohrabacher, Hannah Templeton and Ellie Zogg make up the quartet of new Gamecocks set to join head coach Kevin Epley’s team this fall.

“We are very happy to welcome a new group of motivated young players to the team,” Epley said. “While we have lost some experience and talent with the loss of Meghan Blevins and Elixane Lechemia, I think we will make up for it with grit and competitive spirit with this group of freshmen.”

Cline (Kentfield, Calif.) is a five-start recruit who has ranked among the top 50 in the nation much of the past four years. This year, she has been rated as high as No. 36 and currently sits at 50 and No. 14 for the Southwest Region. She is also ranked as the 10th best recruit in California. Cline topped out at No. 49 nationally in 2014, No. 41 in 2013 and No. 30 in 2012.

Rohrabacher (Tampa, Fla.) is considered a blue clip recruit by TennisRecruiting.net and has been ranked as high as the No. 19 prospect in the nation this spring. She currently sits at No. 23 and is also the No. 7 recruit in the Southeast Region and the No. 3 prospect for Florida. In 2014, she peaked at No. 23 nationally, achieved a high of No. 56 in 2013 and ascended as high as No. 53 in 2012.

Templeton (Greensboro, N.C.) is rated as a four-start prospect and is currently ranked No. 92 in the country. She has been a consistent member of the top 100 during the past four years, traveling as high as No. 87 in 2015, No. 88 in 2014, No. 91 in 2013 and No. 83 in 2012. Templeton was also the NCHSAA 4A state singles champion as a freshman and has been ranked in the top 15 of the USTA Southern Section every year of high school.

Zogg (Dallas, Texas) has been a five-star recruit all four years of high school. She ranked as high as No. 8 in the Texas G12s, No. 5 in the Texas G14s, No. 1 in the Texas G16s and No. 5 in the Texas G18s. Zogg has also been ranked as high as No. 38 nationally. She won the Maureen Connolly Brinker Sportsmanship Award in 2013 and the Sportsmanship Award at the National Open in Arlington, Texas, in 2014.

The Gamecocks return six members of last year’s squad, giving them 10 for the 2015-16 season with the additions of Cline, Rohrabacher, Templeton and Zogg. South Carolina finished last season ranked No. 29 following its 21st consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Carolina advanced to the second round and narrowly lost to top-10-ranked Virginia, 4-2, in the round of 32.