EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE women's tennis Head Coach Adam Albertsen announced the addition of three student-athletes who will join the program in the 2024-25 academic year. Noelle Compton (Fishers, Indiana), Payton Tomichek (Brentwood, Tennessee) and Mia Garber (Boca Raton, Florida) have each signed National Letters of Intent to come to SIUE.
"We are thrilled to officially welcome Noelle, Payton and Mia to the SIUE Cougar family," said Albertsen. "This group comes to our program with high energy and a tremendous level of competitive experience. I love the tournament background and desire to improve in a team setting, that each one of these student-athletes brings to the table. I look forward to their fall arrival and can't wait for them to make a major impact."
Compton is ranked as a three-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net and ranked as high as No. 218 for her class in the past year. Compton has accomplished a Top-five ranking in Indiana while also advancing to quarterfinals in singles of the Indiana State Championships. A first team All-State player, Compton achieved great academic success with a 4.0 grade point average and recognition by the National Honor Society.
From Coach Albertsen
"Noelle was the first one to jump into the class and brings an excitement level of pride in being part of the Cougar family. From our first phone call, I could tell she wanted to get the most out of her college tennis experience and would be a perfect addition. In seeing Noelle play, there are a ton of strengths to build upon that standout well beyond her ratings and rankings. I am excited for her to get here and grow with our training, on and off the court. I look forward to seeing her reach her fullest potential and help our team."
From Noelle
"SIUE stood out to me because of the positive, welcoming environment I felt from the tennis team, coach, students and faculty. I loved the campus and the variety of academic opportunities SIUE offers. Go Cougars!"
Tomichek is ranked as a four-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net and currently ranked No. 161 for the class. She guided her high school team to three years of regional finals and two state semifinals. Individually, Tomichek has won her Regional Championship and gone undefeated as the No. 1 player for two years in a row while also earning Tennessee All-State nomination. Tomichek has maintained strong academic success, carrying a 4.0 GPA and being a member of the National Honor Society.
From Coach Albertsen
"Payton is another perfect fit for our team on and off the courts. She has had great success at the junior tournament level, but I am even more excited about her room to grow and keep developing with our team. She has an eagerness to train at the college level and jump into our athletic performance training program will benefit her game. With athleticism and great height, Payton's game will be a tremendous addition to our team. I have really enjoyed watching Payton compete and can't wait to see her strengthen our doubles and singles lineups."
From Payton
"I chose SIUE because of the team atmosphere. All the girls on the team are very welcoming and super close with each other. They all want to help each other get better and keep improving. I also like Coach Albertsen and his style of coaching and the interest level he showed in me. I appreciated the communication, the visit and how he always checked in with me regularly. Overall, I am excited for the academic opportunities that are available to me while I am able to play high level competitive tennis. I look forward to the opportunity to improve both in academics and athletics at SIUE."
Garber is ranked as a four-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net and currently ranked No. 139 for her senior class. She is ranked in the top 20 for Florida and comes to SIUE with three ITF Junior titles. Fluent in three languages, Garber has spent time training in Europe as well as traveling to multiple countries for tournament play.
From Coach Albertsen
"Mia is an athletic lefty that will continue to bring a different look to our team in training and match play. She has played in many international tournaments and settings which has helped prepare her for the college game. Every time we spoke, she would mention being part of a team or wanting to help the team. In a sport that is often viewed as an individual sport, I love that the team aspect was valued by her. Mia's energy and fight on the courts is made for team tennis and will be a great addition to the Cougars. I look forward to her making our team even stronger."
From Mia
"After visiting SIUE, I felt very welcomed and clicked immediately with the team and Coach Albertsen. I felt at home and liked how close the team is with one another. I know that I can be an impact player and I'm excited to be a part of this awesome team and school."
