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Inductees
AnnaMaria Fernandez-Ruffels
AnnaMaria Fernandez-Ruffels is not only a twin, so are her other sisters — that’s two sets of twin girls who in their youth needed a constructive way to spend their time. Enter: tennis.
AnnaMaria’s mother was a good player looking for a tennis club for her family. She joined the Jack Kramer Club in Estates, California. That club later became famous for mentoring national tennis champions like Lindsey Davenport, Pete Sampras, and, of course, AnnaMaria Fenandez-Ruffels.
“We never thought about playing as a professional growing up,” AnnaMaria says. AnnaMaria and her sisters were more excited about seeing their friends than playing tennis. “I think kids think about becoming a pro too soon nowadays and they miss out on the natural, gradual process. College tennis is great because it offers a stepping stone for kids to pursue.”
In college, she joined the USC women’s tennis team, where she became a three-time All-American and was named the Tennis Magazine College Player of the Year her junior year. She didn’t stop there. Professionally, she won five WTA titles in doubles and defeated reigning champions Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini at Wimbledon.
But when it comes to the most memorable victories of her career, AnnaMaria gives those honors to winning the NCAA singles title in 1981 and two team titles at USC.
“It’s a fantastic honor to be inducted into the Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame,” AnnaMaria says. “I feel a lot of gratitude for this moment, it’s just incredible.” “I don’t think you ever appreciate tennis as much as when you leave the game. The competition is extremely taxing mentally and physically. It’s grueling. But if you can overcome that, you become a stronger person both on and off the court.”
AnnaMaria’s mother was a good player looking for a tennis club for her family. She joined the Jack Kramer Club in Estates, California. That club later became famous for mentoring national tennis champions like Lindsey Davenport, Pete Sampras, and, of course, AnnaMaria Fenandez-Ruffels.
“We never thought about playing as a professional growing up,” AnnaMaria says. AnnaMaria and her sisters were more excited about seeing their friends than playing tennis. “I think kids think about becoming a pro too soon nowadays and they miss out on the natural, gradual process. College tennis is great because it offers a stepping stone for kids to pursue.”
In college, she joined the USC women’s tennis team, where she became a three-time All-American and was named the Tennis Magazine College Player of the Year her junior year. She didn’t stop there. Professionally, she won five WTA titles in doubles and defeated reigning champions Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini at Wimbledon.
But when it comes to the most memorable victories of her career, AnnaMaria gives those honors to winning the NCAA singles title in 1981 and two team titles at USC.
“It’s a fantastic honor to be inducted into the Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame,” AnnaMaria says. “I feel a lot of gratitude for this moment, it’s just incredible.” “I don’t think you ever appreciate tennis as much as when you leave the game. The competition is extremely taxing mentally and physically. It’s grueling. But if you can overcome that, you become a stronger person both on and off the court.”
Diane Donnelly Stone
Diane Donnelly Stone’s
determination helped her overcome two big challenges. “Being just over five feet tall, tennis was a sport I could play,” Diane says. “I became very consistent. Diane’s other big challenge: diabetes. Diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of six, she played her entire career with the disease — something few have done at the highest level of tennis. “My doctors said it was very important to be involved in sports so I could maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
Diane let nothing hold her back. She eventually committed to Northwestern University and led her team to two Big Ten titles. She and Katrina Adams captured the NCAA Doubles Championship — only the 2nd NCAA title for a Northwestern athlete and the first for a woman. Diane holds impressive records for Northwestern women’s tennis with a winning percentage of .935 in singles (1985) and the highest all-time winning percentage — 1.000 — in doubles in 1987 with Katrina Adams.
Diane was ranked as high as #5 in the NCAA singles and was a three-time All-American. After graduation, Diane played the WTA satellite circuit and won two ITF Challenger doubles titles and competed in the 1987 US Open doubles championships.
After retiring from the tennis tour, Diane began working for World Team Tennis as an Executive Assistant to Billie Jean King and continued in that role for 33 years. In 1998, Billie Jean, along with Diane and her sister Tracey, created an award which has given over $700,000 to student athletes who play tennis and have diabetes.
“My career has gone beyond anything I could have imagined,” says Diane. “And then to find out that I was being inducted into the Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame was beyond all my dreams.”
determination helped her overcome two big challenges. “Being just over five feet tall, tennis was a sport I could play,” Diane says. “I became very consistent. Diane’s other big challenge: diabetes. Diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of six, she played her entire career with the disease — something few have done at the highest level of tennis. “My doctors said it was very important to be involved in sports so I could maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
Diane let nothing hold her back. She eventually committed to Northwestern University and led her team to two Big Ten titles. She and Katrina Adams captured the NCAA Doubles Championship — only the 2nd NCAA title for a Northwestern athlete and the first for a woman. Diane holds impressive records for Northwestern women’s tennis with a winning percentage of .935 in singles (1985) and the highest all-time winning percentage — 1.000 — in doubles in 1987 with Katrina Adams.
Diane was ranked as high as #5 in the NCAA singles and was a three-time All-American. After graduation, Diane played the WTA satellite circuit and won two ITF Challenger doubles titles and competed in the 1987 US Open doubles championships.
After retiring from the tennis tour, Diane began working for World Team Tennis as an Executive Assistant to Billie Jean King and continued in that role for 33 years. In 1998, Billie Jean, along with Diane and her sister Tracey, created an award which has given over $700,000 to student athletes who play tennis and have diabetes.
“My career has gone beyond anything I could have imagined,” says Diane. “And then to find out that I was being inducted into the Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame was beyond all my dreams.”
Lin Loring
When it comes to women’s college tennis, there are few names as synonymous with winning as Lin Loring.
Lin arrived at Indiana University in 1977 after spending 4 years as head coach at his alma mater UC Santa Barbara and spent the next 40 years coaching the women’s tennis team. He took the program by storm, racking up 16 Big Ten titles, 12 undefeated conference seasons, and 846 wins (804 at Indiana) — placing him as the collegiate women’s tennis all-time wins leader. In 1982 his team won the AIAW National Championship which still remains as the only national title in a women’s sport won by Indiana University.
“I share this with everyone who was part of the program,” Lin says. “Every athletic trainer, every academic advisor, every manager, every assistant coach, every player — we were just a big family working together.”
For Lin, accomplishments always take a backseat to relationships; what matters most is his interaction with the players.
“You’re so influential in their lives,” Lin says. “More than wins or losses, you remember the relationships and the experiences.” Lin cemented these bonds in many ways over the years, including going to their weddings.
In fact, as soon as all the COVID restrictions dropped, Lin attended three of his former players’ weddings. For future tennis coaches, Lin has some advice: Learn from your peers and have mentors. “I was so fortunate to have come in as a 27-year-old in what people call the golden era of Indiana athletics. Bobby Knight, Doc Counsilman, Hobie Billingsley and Sam Bell. Whether it’s with a mentor, a teammate, or a player you’re coaching, make those relationships strong, and make them count.”
Lin arrived at Indiana University in 1977 after spending 4 years as head coach at his alma mater UC Santa Barbara and spent the next 40 years coaching the women’s tennis team. He took the program by storm, racking up 16 Big Ten titles, 12 undefeated conference seasons, and 846 wins (804 at Indiana) — placing him as the collegiate women’s tennis all-time wins leader. In 1982 his team won the AIAW National Championship which still remains as the only national title in a women’s sport won by Indiana University.
“I share this with everyone who was part of the program,” Lin says. “Every athletic trainer, every academic advisor, every manager, every assistant coach, every player — we were just a big family working together.”
For Lin, accomplishments always take a backseat to relationships; what matters most is his interaction with the players.
“You’re so influential in their lives,” Lin says. “More than wins or losses, you remember the relationships and the experiences.” Lin cemented these bonds in many ways over the years, including going to their weddings.
In fact, as soon as all the COVID restrictions dropped, Lin attended three of his former players’ weddings. For future tennis coaches, Lin has some advice: Learn from your peers and have mentors. “I was so fortunate to have come in as a 27-year-old in what people call the golden era of Indiana athletics. Bobby Knight, Doc Counsilman, Hobie Billingsley and Sam Bell. Whether it’s with a mentor, a teammate, or a player you’re coaching, make those relationships strong, and make them count.”
Lisa Spain Short
Raised in the rural farming community of Moultrie, Georgia, Lisa Spain’s introduction to tennis came in the form of an ad in the local paper. “There was an ad for tennis lessons at the Moultrie Recreation Center,” Lisa says. “And luckily, I was about a half a mile away.”
So Lisa did what any kid in the early 1970s would do: She rode her Shetland pony over to the tennis courts. She and her pony hoofed it over there early each day so Lisa could claim the Doris Hart blue wooden tennis racket. “We had to check-out a racket from the rec center,” Lisa says with a smile. “It was the only one that wasn’t warped!”
Practice — and persistence — paid off. By the time she finished high school, she’d won the state singles championship four times, accumulating 56 wins and only one loss.
Colleges caught sight of the rising star. When the University of Georgia offered her a full scholarship and a seat at number one, she accepted. During her illustrious career at Georgia, Lisa accumulated an extensive list of accolades. She earned All-SEC honors every year, three All-American awards, the 1984 NCAA Women’s singles title, and the Broderick Award (now known as the Honda Sports Award). Looking back on her career, it all feels surreal for Lisa.
“I’m 60 years old now and a grandmother and it seems like so long ago that I accomplished all those things. But the Broderick Award means so much more than just being a good tennis player, it brought in the sportsmanship and other aspects, which I’m especially proud of.”
For young players out there, Lisa offers sage advice: “Dream big. With a lot of hard work, anything can happen.”
So Lisa did what any kid in the early 1970s would do: She rode her Shetland pony over to the tennis courts. She and her pony hoofed it over there early each day so Lisa could claim the Doris Hart blue wooden tennis racket. “We had to check-out a racket from the rec center,” Lisa says with a smile. “It was the only one that wasn’t warped!”
Practice — and persistence — paid off. By the time she finished high school, she’d won the state singles championship four times, accumulating 56 wins and only one loss.
Colleges caught sight of the rising star. When the University of Georgia offered her a full scholarship and a seat at number one, she accepted. During her illustrious career at Georgia, Lisa accumulated an extensive list of accolades. She earned All-SEC honors every year, three All-American awards, the 1984 NCAA Women’s singles title, and the Broderick Award (now known as the Honda Sports Award). Looking back on her career, it all feels surreal for Lisa.
“I’m 60 years old now and a grandmother and it seems like so long ago that I accomplished all those things. But the Broderick Award means so much more than just being a good tennis player, it brought in the sportsmanship and other aspects, which I’m especially proud of.”
For young players out there, Lisa offers sage advice: “Dream big. With a lot of hard work, anything can happen.”
Explore More Induction Ceremonies
2022 Hall of Fame Inductions
People Who Changed The Game
In 2022, we inducted 3 incredible women and 1 impactful gentleman into the Hall of Fame. Each of their legacies has created a lasting impact on the sport of tennis and will for the rest of time.
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