The USTA is preparing to make history at the NCAA Tennis Championships

LAKE NONA, Fla. The USTA is poised to make history as the first venue to host every NCAA tennis championship in a single season.

This includes both men’s and women’s NCAA tennis DI, DII and DIII championships.

The USTA campus in Lake Nona has hosted numerous tournaments in the past, including the DI NCAA Championships, and officials said their facility was equipped to handle the biggest month of college tennis.

The USTA is led by Elissa Hill, Senior Director of Collegiate Tennis, who has worked with the USTA for over 10 years. He joined the USTA team after gaining a wide range of experiences in the sport: playing collegiately at Nebraska and Virginia Tech.

Hill also became a coach and was named America East Coach of the Year while with SUNY Albany.

Hill said he brings a unique perspective to tournament planning as a previous student-athlete and coach.

“I always make the student-athletes and coaches my top priority,” Hill said.

The tournaments have culminated after more than a year of planning by Hill and his team, ensuring health and safety measures, creating a student-athlete tent with video games, snacks and a cooling system to beat the heat and more.

You know, when you go through this process, there’s a lot of times, and I think all the events are related to when you’re working 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. and you’re just hoping there’s a good reason,” Hill said.

On the eve of the NCAAs at Lake Nona, Hill says she likes to sit on the field and look at the signs, something she always does before a big event, and think about how proud she is of the team.

“You sit here and think this team really did it and really came together,” Hill said. “There are 17 days of racing and there are only so many firsts, and that’s something to be so excited about.”

DII men’s and women’s tennis started on Thursday. DIII tennis begins at the USTA on Saturday, with DI tennis joining Lake Nona beginning Wednesday, May 17.