Emy Alplund
Number 19, May 12, 2015
Emy Alplund is competing for the College of Coastal Georgia women’s tennis team for the first time in 2014-15.
Alplund, a true freshman from Lund, Sweden, has played mostly No. 1 doubles and No. 3 singles for the No. 22-ranked Mariners.
She was thrilled to learn the news that she would be the recipient of the Thomas Scholarship starting next year.
“Knowing that Ms. Thomas played golf and tennis, it’s great that her foundation is donating money to support our College,” Alplund said. “It’s absolutely exciting. I am honored to be the scholarship recipient.”
Coastal Georgia tennis coach Kemper Baker said Alplund is a very worthwhile candidate for the scholarship award. In addition to her playing talents, the freshman is an exceptional student – one of seven women’s tennis players to post a 3.0 GPA or higher in fall semester to help the team to an overall 3.42 GPA, the highest among all Coastal Georgia teams for the term.
“She’s just an exemplary student-athlete,” Baker said. “She really represents what’s we look for as we search for prospects to add to our program. Academically and personally, she’s already been an asset to the College and athletically she’s a great fit for our women’s tennis team as we try to compete at a high level in the tough Southern States Athletic Conference and nationally.”
Alplund attended Carl Adolph Agardhgymnasium at home in Sweden. She played club tennis from age 7 to 17 at Lomma Bjdrreds Tennis Club before joining the Allmanna Tennisklubben Lund (ATL), playing with that high-level program the last two years before coming to Coastal Georgia.
With Allmanna, she was part of a team that won Division I, the highest division for club tennis in Sweden, and was awarded the Culture and Recreation Community Athletic Scholarship. She also won a scholarship at her previous club for her overall performance.
Alplund won several singles and doubles championships during her club career and was ranked among the top 50 players in her age group.
“She has several assets in her overall game that made her attractive as an athlete,” Baker said. “She’s extremely fit and can play at a high level in long matches. She’s also a left-handed player with great hands around the net and has lots of ability to make things happen with the touch she has.”
When deciding on a college, Alplund considered several schools in the U.S., including some in Florida and Indiana, before opting for the opportunities at Coastal Georgia.
“Coach Baker put me in contact with several of the players on the team and I got to ask them questions about school and tennis and just what a normal day was like here,” she explained. “The Golden Isles attracted me, too. I wanted to come to place where it was warm and sunny.”
Alplund is excited about the rest of her collegiate career with the Mariners, who have been in the national rankings and played in the national tournament the past two years.
“We’re young, lots of freshmen,” she said. “This is new to me and to all of us. It’s exciting when you think about how we could develop as a team the next few years.”