CLAREMONT, Calif. - Ella Brissett of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team earned the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award for Division III Women's Tennis from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the organization announced this week. 

Brissett has been a part of two national championships with the Athenas during her career, including clinching the first of the two titles in 2022 with a win at No. 4 singles. She also had a key win in the run to the 2023 title, rallying from behind to take a three-set win in a 5-4 victory over Pomona-Pitzer in the regional finals. She is a two-time All-America in doubles, winning it for the second time this fall by advancing to the ITA Cup semifinals. 

Off the court, Brissett graduated with over a 3.9 GPA at Claremont McKenna, as a biology major, and plans to attend medical school. As a sophomore, Brissett founded The Women Empowerment in Sports Club which aims to build bridges between female student-athletes both throughout her campus as well as in the broader community. Through this club, Brissett and other members have helped organize alumni panels and National Girls and Women in Sports Day activities aimed at empowering elementary school girls.

Brissett earned the SCIAC Sportsmanship award this spring, and has been a SCIAC All-Academic Team selection in her first three seasons. She is also one of three finalists for the Ann Lebedeff Leadership Award, which is open to men's and women's tennis players, from all three divisions. 

The Athenas reached the national quarterfinals this spring, and had a No. 2 national ranking at the conclusion of their season.