Tallulah Falls’ star girls tennis player Ariel Kelsick has made it official where she’s playing at the next level. The senior has signed with East Stroudsburg University (PA) to play for the Warriors. East Stroudsburg is an NCAA Division-II program in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Kelsick has had a massive impact on the tennis program at TFS, guiding the Lady Indians to a 32-2 record in two seasons, including back-to-back region titles, a Sweet 16 run, and an Elite 8. She put up 15 wins in each season, giving her a final tally of 30-2. The win total is tops in program history, tied with sophomore teammate Jaeda-Lee Daniel-Joseph. Kelsick played mostly at 1-singles and some at 2-singles this past season, and earned back-to-back Region Singles Player of the Year honors.
“From my first conversation with Ariel and her family, it was evident that she is a dedicated and a bright student-athlete that would be a great addition to any athletic program and university as a whole,” states ESU coach Troy Haas. “East Stroudsburg University Women’s Tennis is looking to turn a corner, and Ariel will have a big impact in turning that corner while being a dedicated student in the classroom.”
“It has been a great opportunity for me to play at Tallulah, and I continue to be grateful that I have been able to make an impact here in terms of the records that I have set,” says Kelsick. “Though I have only been here for two seasons, I was able to grow both on the court and in terms of the connections I have made with my teammates, who I hope will continue to grow as well.”
Kelsick becomes the eleventh TFS student-athlete to sign an LOI this academic year. She is the third girls tennis player from TFS all-time to go to the next level. Kelsick will be honored with all other senior signees on May 23 at the second annual Next Level Signing Ceremony.
