Madge 'Bunny' Vosters
Ursinus College
|
2006
Unmatched in her will to win, Madge Vosters (1919-1999) combined grace and athleticism with unparalleled sportsmanship in a tennis career that spanned a lifetime. A nationally ranked junior player from Pennsylvania, Vosters went on to play three sports at Ursinus College — field hockey, basketball and tennis.
Possessing great accuracy and “a nearly unretrievable drop shot,” Vosters broke into the USTA Top 10 in 1942, impressing the crowds at Forest Hills with a beautifully fought match against Patricia Todd. In 1949, Vosters was awarded the prestigious USTA Service Bowl.
Vosters shared her love of the game with her family, and teamed with daughters Gretchen and Nina to win a record 26 national mother-daughter titles. A pioneering competitor on the USTA senior circuit, she dominated the national grass court championships throughout the 1980s. Further demonstrating her racket wizardry, she also won 14 national squash titles.
Celebrated for her tireless dedication to promoting tennis on all levels, particularly through the Delaware Foundation for Physical Education, Vosters is remembered as one of the games most gracious ambassadors.
Career Highlights
- Middle States Girls’ Singles Champion 1935
3-sport athlete at Ursinus College (basketball, field hockey, tennis) 1936-40; All-American reserve in field hockey
Eastern States Clay Court Singles Champion 1939, 1940; Finalist 1941
Ranked in Middle States Top 10 (No. 3) 1940
Philadelphia and District Women’s Grass Court Champion 1941, 1942
Ranked No.1 in USTA Middle States 1942
Ranked in USTA Top 10 1942 (No. 9)
U.S. National Championship Quarterfinalist 1948
Chair, Junior Wightman Cup Committee, USTA Middle Atlantic Section 1948
USTA Service Bowl Award 1949
Captain, U.S. Federation Cup Team 1964: Billie Jean King, Nancy Richey, Karen Susman and Rosie Casals
Represented the USTA/Middle States in Sears Cup competition for over 30 years
U.S. Grass Court Champion Women’s 40 Doubles 1974
U.S. Grass Court Champion Women’s 50 1975
U.S. Grass Court Champion Women’s 55 Singles 1981; Doubles 1981-2, 1984, 1986
U.S. Grass Court Champion Women’s 60 Singles 1984-5, 1988; Doubles 1987-8
U.S. Grass Court Champion Women’s 65 Singles 1985-6, 1988-9; Doubles 1989, 1991-2
Won a record 26 national mother-daughter titles with daughters Gretchen and Nina
U.S. Grass Court Mother-Daughter Champion 1967-71; 1973-75, 1977-86
U.S. Clay Court Mother-Daughter Champion 1976-1980, 1983, 1984
U.S. Hardcourt Mother-Daughter Champion 1977
14 national doubles and senior doubles squash titles
USTA Family of the Year 1964, 1988; Middle States Family of the Year 1965
Inducted into the Ursinus College Hall of Fame 1974
Inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame 1980
Inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame/Delaware County 1989
Inducted into the USTA/Middle States Hall of Fame 1994 (inaugural year)
