GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota head women's tennis coach Tom Boysen announced on Friday the addition of three student-athletes to the roster for the upcoming 2024-25 season. All three transfers will have two years of eligibility remaining.
 
"We are excited about bringing in three very strong tennis players to add to our roster," said Boysen. "All three have achieved success at both the collegiate and international level, and we believe it will bolster our already strong squad for 2024-25 and beyond."
 
Meet The Signees:
Signees are listed in alphabetical order
 
Ethel Li | Yuli Town, Hualien County, Taiwan | Junior | Chicago State
Spent the last two seasons at Chicago State … Finished with a 10-10 overall singles record in 2023-24 … Won nine of those matches on the No. 5 court … Went 3-1 in Horizon League play … Dominated the doubles courts with a 16-8 mark … Finished 14-7 on the middle court and 2-1 from the top spot … Helped Chicago State reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history … Reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 ITF Women's World Tennis Tour W25 Taiwan Doubles event … Also finished second in the mixed doubles competition at the 2023 National Middle School Athletic Games in Taiwan.
 
Li on why she chose UND:
"I feel that UND has a very complete set of resources for the student-athletes, and I had good conversations with Coach Boysen. I am very excited about meeting my new teammates and to start to travel with the team and have fun as a team."
 
Coach Boysen on Li:
"Ethel plays with an offensive and dictating style. She uses her forehand very effectively to control the point, and she has the ability to finish at the net early and often. Ethel has a lot of variety in her shot selection as well, and that creativity will pay dividends. She was part of a very successful Chicago State team this past season, and I look forward to her competitiveness and good court instincts to help us in singles and doubles right away."
 
Andrea Pineda | London, England | Junior | Texas State
Played two years at Texas State … Tallied 14 singles wins over those two seasons … Went 12-6 in 2023-24, including a 10-6 mark on the No. 5 court … Also was a perfect 2-0 from the No. 4 spot … Was 6-4 in league action … Won the national crown in both singles and doubles for her age group in 2017 … Also captured the Independent Schools Tennis Championships title while in the UK … Member of the Nationals Schools Tennis Team in 2019, which became the first women's team to win a title in school history.
 
Pineda on why she chose UND:
"I chose UND because I can tell that Coach Boysen and Coach Anderson both want only the best for the program and are willing to do anything for the team to grow on and off the court. I am so excited to meet my new teammates at UND!"
 
Coach Boysen on Pineda:
"Andrea is a very complete player with a good sense of how and when to attack during a point. She is a rare player who seems to flow effortlessly from defense to neutral to offense within the same point at the right time. She has had a lot of success in both the juniors and in the DI ranks at Texas State. Coach Anderson was in touch with Andrea initially and throughout the recruiting process, and when I eventually spoke to her, it was obvious that Andrea would make an outstanding addition to our team both as a player and as a person."
 
Linn Svaerd | Gothenburg, Sweden | Junior | Sam Houston
Spent two seasons with Sam Houston … Finished last year with a whopping 7-1 singles record … Was a perfect 4-0 on the No. 6 singles court and 3-1 from the No. 5 spot … Held a lead in three other matches but went unfinished … Notched an additional five doubles victories, including a 4-7 mark at the bottom court … Climbed to as high as No. 4 in the national rankings for her age group in Sweden … Won the Swedish National Championships in doubles for the under-21 competition.
 
Svaerd on why she chose UND:
"It was important to me to come to a program that really believed in me, and I got a very positive feeling after speaking to Coach Boysen. I have heard that the team seems to have a really good dynamic, which is also important to me. My gut feeling told me from the beginning to come to UND. I am excited to practice and compete with the team.  It's a new experience against new schools and opponents, and I can't wait to put in the work with my teammates to reach new goals."
 
Coach Boysen on Svaerd:
"Linn was a very accomplished and highly ranked junior in Sweden in both singles and doubles, and her results at Sam Houston this past season were also very impressive. When I watched a video recording of one of Linn's college matches, I was immediately drawn to her attacking mindset and the way she instinctively seemed to know how to use her strengths. Her forehand is a weapon, and I love the way she attacks weaker 2nd serves. I think Linn is a player who will continue to get better and better in her last two years of college tennis."
 
For more information on North Dakota women's tennis, follow on social media @UNDwtennis or visit FightingHawks.com.