Tempe, AZ - Senior
Ella Brissett of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team earned the 2025 Ann Lebedeff Leadership Award, as endowed by Billie Jean King, from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the organization announced today.
The Ann Lebedeff Leadership Award is given annually to one men's or women's tennis player from all three NCAA divisions. Brissett adds the Lebedeff Award to a growing list of postseason accolades, which has also included the ITA Division III Women's Tennis Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award, the SCIAC Character Award, All-America doubles honors, and first-team Academic All-America distinction. She becomes the second CMS athlete to win the Ann Lebedeff Award, after Daniel Park captured it from the CMS men's tennis team in 2019.
"College tennis has long been a powerful platform for developing future leaders," stated ITA CEO, David Mullins. "We're deeply grateful to Billie Jean King for helping us spotlight the next generation through the ITA Ann Lebedeff Leadership Award. Ella exemplifies the values this award represents. The leadership skills honed through college tennis extend far beyond the court—shaping individuals who go on to lead and uplift organizations and communities around the world."
As one of the most prestigious honors in all of college tennis, Brissett will be honored with a postgraduate scholarship as well as receive special recognition at the ITA Leadership Awards Weekend later this year in New York. Additionally, the CMS women's tennis team will be awarded a $1,000 donation from the ITA in Brissett's honor.
"Ella certainly didn't leave anything on the table with her Claremont-Mudd-Scripps experience," said CMS Women's Tennis Head Coach,
David Schwarz. "She's been a phenomenal representative of our program as a student, a player, and a leader. Ella played on two NCAA championship teams, has been a multi-time ITA All-American, and is a Phi Beta Kappa pre-med student. I have known Ann for years and have even had the privilege of coaching against her. I think Ella embodies exactly what this award is about. I am so proud of Ella and I feel lucky to have spent four years with her."
As a first-generation American, Brissett oftentimes felt most connected to a community when playing the sport of tennis. Enrolling at CMS, Brissett immediately found a family for her both with her teammates on the tennis team as well as other students on the Claremont McKenna campus.
Being involved in numerous service groups, Brissett helped found the Women Empowerment in Sports Club at CMS which aims to build bridges between female student-athletes both on her campus and the broader community. With this club, Brissett and other members organized alumni panels and National Girls and Women in Sports Day activities aimed at empowering young girls.
On the court, Brissett's impact has been felt just as widely. Winning back-to-back NCAA Division III National Championships in 2022 and 2023, Brissett has been one of the most decorated athletes in CMS history over her athletic and academic career.
Upon graduation, Brissett plans to continue her studies in pursuit of becoming a physician where she hopes to continue advancing women's health and advocating for equitable care.
"I'm incredibly grateful and honored to receive the 2025 ITA Ann Lebedeff Award," stated
Ella Brissett. "Representing Claremont-Mudd-Scripps as an Athena has been such a meaningful part of my life, not only through competition but by connecting me to a supportive community and opening doors to give back. Whether mentoring younger athletes or advocating for equity in women's sports, I've seen the difference this sport can make beyond the court. I'm thankful for the experiences and relationships tennis has brought into my life, and I look forward to continuing to uplift others."
About the ITA – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body and coaches association of college tennis, both an advocate and an authority for the sport and its members. Comprised of 1,260 colleges and universities, 20,000 student-athletes, 1,800 varsity programs, 3,000 coaches, and 1,350 college tennis officials, the ITA empowers college tennis coaches at all levels to deliver vibrant tennis programs that are vital to their college communities and transformational to their student-athletes. Follow college tennis on the ITA website and ITA social channels on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
