FULLERTON, Calif. --- Cal State Fullerton's recruiting class received a No. 9 mid-major ranking from TennisRecruiting.net as the Titans welcome a total of five newcomers for the 2017-18 season.
Jadie Acidera joined Cal State Fullerton with an early commitment in the fall while, Caisey Lee Emery and Genevieve Zeidan signed National Letters of Intent with the Titans during the regular signing period in the spring of 2017. In addition, the Titans will welcome freshmen Taylor Valenzuela, younger sister of Alexis Valenzuela, and Tiani Judalang to the squad for the 2017-18 season.
Jadie Acidera, Anaheim, Calif., JSerra Catholic High School
Acidera, a native of Anaheim, is a 2017 graduate of JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano.
She played four years of varsity tennis for head coach Kirk Orahood, totaling a remarkable 240-11 record including an undefeated season of 64-0 as a senior.
"I'm thrilled to have Jadie join the Titan Family," Cal State Fullerton women's tennis head coach Dianne Matias said. "She is going to be an excellent addition for us. She is an outstanding student and an accomplished tennis player. I know she will make an impact on our program and be successful here at Cal State Fullerton."
Acidera is a three-time Trinity League singles champion (2014, 2015, 2016), following a runner-up finish her freshman year in 2013.
She was named the Lions' Most Valuable Player for three straight seasons, and was chosen as the OC Varsity Girls Player of the Week on Oct. 31, 2016, after defeating Santa Margarita's Katie Chang, 6-1, 6-2, for the 2016 Trinity League title.
Acidera is the 23rd-ranked recruit from California in the 2017 class, and also boasts a No. 28 ranking in the Southwest Region. She is ranked 105th nationally in her class.
Caisey Lee Emery, Ventura, Calif., El Camino High School
A 2016 graduate of El Camino High School in Ventura, Emery played at Buena High School in 2012, 2014 and 2015 due to El Camino not fielding a tennis team. She finished with a record of 85-2 in matches over her three seasons of high school tennis.
"I've been following Caisey Lee since she was 11 years old, and I'm thrilled she's joining the Titan family," Matias said. "Not only is Caisey Lee a very accomplished player who loves to compete and leaves it all out on the court, but she's also a diligent and dedicated student. Caisey Lee comes from a great a family and I'm excited to see her development on and off the court here at Fullerton."
As a junior in 2014, Emery won the Channel League singles title, becoming the first player in Buena history to earn the championship. For her efforts, she was named MVP of the league and the Ventura County Player of the Year. As a senior in 2015, Emery went undefeated in singles play (28-0) and won a league doubles title with her sister, Colbey Shae Emery.
On the junior circuit, Emery was the 2014 Esme Pearson Designated G16s Champion and a 2014 Double Sectionals G16 Champion and mixed finalist. She climbed as high as No. 15 in Southern California in the 16s rankings, and as high as #52 on Tennis Recruiting.
Her mother, Tara McLeod Emery played basketball at Oregon State from 1986-89, while her father,Nelson Emery played tennis at CSU Bakersfield from 1987-88.
Genevieve Zeidan, Taipei, Taiwan, Zhongxing High School
Zeidan graduated from Zhongxing High School in Taipei, Taiwan in 2017.
Her achievements include winning the International Tennis Federation Speaker Cup Championship while finishing as the runner-up at the ITF Nanying Cup, ITF Smash Cup and ITF Greenmax Cup. She was ranked as high at 145 in the world for Junior ITF.
"Genevieve is an extremely talented player who has had tremendous success on the Junior ITF circuit," Matias said. "She is savvy, independent, and mature beyond her years, and she will be a huge asset for our team and program. I'm confident she will build on her previous success and am excited for her to unlock her full potential."
Cal State Fullerton recently completed its best season in program history. The Titans ended their season with a 19-4 record, the best winning percentage (.826) and total number of wins in program history. The Titans also advanced to the semifinals of the Big West Conference Championship – a first for the program.
The Titans boasted a program-record 11-match win streak to start the season from Jan. 21 – March 5, the longest for the program on record dating back to 1981.
2017-18 Recruiting Class
Jadie Acidera | San Juan Capistrano, Calif. | JSerra Catholic High School
Caisey Lee Emery | Ventura, Calif. | El Camino High School
Tiani Judalang | Palm Desert, Calif. | Xavier Prep High School
Taylor Valenzuela | West Covina, Calif. | West Covina High School
Genevieve Zeidan | Taipei, Taiwan | Zhongxing High School
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