Pirates Add Three To 2023-24 Tennis Roster

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Brooke LaFrenz, Noelle Talarek and Kexuan Zhou will attend East Carolina University and compete for the women's tennis program beginning in the fall of 2023 according to an announcement by head coach Kirstin Burgess Wednesday.

The trio joins returning players Kim Auerswald, Ines Bachir, Anne Lou Champion, Alisha Hussain, Joan Madi, Martina Muzzolon and Isabella Rivera Ortiz in comprising a solid 2023-24 roster.

LaFrenz hails from Pinehurst, N.C. and attended Pinecrest High School where she was a four-time conference champion and team captain. During her freshman season, LaFrenz was ranked the No. 1 doubles player in the region and was the first player in the history of her high school program to reach the semfinals of the 4A state championship tournament. As a sophomore, she was the regional runner up and qualified for the state tournament. LaFrenz capped off her prep career with an appearance in the regional semifinals and a bid to the state playoffs.

A three-star recruit, LaFrenz ranks among the top 10 in the North Carolina Girls 18 division and in the top 150 of the Southern section. She was a semifinalist at the 2020 Icy Hot L2 Clay Court Championships and reached the final of the 2021 North Carolina Tar Heel Doubles tournament.

Talarek, a three-star recruit out of Great Falls, Va., attended Langley High School where she helped the Saxons to the 2022 and 2023 Class 6A state titles while winning the state doubles championship her senior campaign. As a junior, she played at the No. 1 position and recorded a second-place finish in the district while also reaching the regional semifinals and the regional finals in doubles play. As a freshman, Talarek played at the No. 2 position behind a senior Division I recruit.

In the Babolat recruiting rankings, Talarek slots 12th in the state of Virginia as well as 65th in the Middle Atlantic region and 346th nationally.

"We are incredibly excited about our three new additions for the Fall!" Burgess said. "From the very first time Brooke and Noelle stepped on campus, they knew they wanted to be Pirates and that is the type of people we want on our squad to keep improving our culture. They both had very successful high school careers and come from winning programs. I believe they will bring that confidence with them."

Zhou arrives at ECU as a transfer student-athlete from future American Athletic Conference member North Texas where she posted 31 singles victories and 29 doubles wins over four seasons. She finished her senior campaign in a big way, tying for the team lead with 11 wins on the year. Her versatility shined throughout the season as she became the first Mean Green player since 2006 to have at least one singles win at five different positions in one season. Zhou was also one of two North Texas student-athletes to earn CSC Academic All-District accolades – a first for the program.

"Kexuan just battled through a very difficult senior season, but her toughness and good attitude prevailed, and she remained undefeated until mid-March," Burgess stated. "We are looking forward to the consistency she is going to bring to the lineup."

Players Mentioned

Kim Auerswald

Ines Bachir

Anne Lou Champion

Alisha Hussain

Joan Madi

Martina Muzzolon

Isabella Rivera Ortiz

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