Tennis signs three incoming freshmen for the 2025 class

PISCATAWAY, NJ Rutgers women's tennis head coach Hilary Ritchie announced the signing of three new freshmen on Wednesday afternoon.

Ritchie and the Scarlet Knights welcomed Haddonfield, New Jersey native Miranda Case, New Auburn, Wisconsin native Stella Schmitz and Westfield, New Jersey native Savannah Cohen to the fall 2025 squad.

Miranda Case

Case's history “On The Banks” runs deep, as her mother, Kristin, played tennis at Rutgers from 1997-2001.

“It was always my dream to play tennis at Rutgers,” Case said. “I wanted to attend Rutgers for as long as I can remember and follow in my mother's footsteps. The Rutgers women's tennis team and the Rutgers community had a huge impact on my mother, which continues to impact her life today. I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to attend Rutgers and play on the team.”

Case currently resides in Haddonfield, New Jersey with her parents Bryce and Kristin, along with her brother Nathan. Her brother also represents RU and plays for the Rutgers club hockey team.

Case attends Haddonfield Memorial High School, where she is a member of the National Honor Society. When asked who her biggest sporting influence is, she remembered Rodger Federer. “We are thrilled to have New Jersey native Miranda Case join our team,” said Ritchie. “Miranda has a passion for tennis and Rutgers that is second to none. We look forward to working with her and following her journey.”

Stella Schmitz

Schmitz lived most of her life in Germany and enjoyed success abroad. The four-time state champion has multiple high finishes in ITF competition in singles and doubles and a top-10 national German ranking.

“Our coaching staff and Stella had a strong bond early in the recruiting process,” Ritchie said. “Stella is a hard worker, smart and we think she has a high ceiling with her tennis talents.”

“My dream was always to play Big Ten tennis,” Schmitz said. “I had a very good feeling about Rutgers from the beginning. I felt a strong bond with the coaching staff and knew they had a good reputation. Rutgers has a perfect blend of high-level athletics and fantastic academics.”

Schmitz calls Kaiserslautern, Germany, where she lives with her parents Clare and Frank, alongside her siblings Aiva and Theo. She comes from a very athletic family as her mother Clare was a former international basketball player and competed for Australia, Luxembourg and Germany. Her father Frank was a German professional tennis player on the ATP tour for 10 years. Her sister Aiva is currently on the Minnesota women's tennis team.

“My biggest sports influence is my older sister, Aiva,” Schmitz said. “Her achievements have always inspired and motivated me to do my best and follow in her footsteps.”

Schmitz currently attends Kaiserslautern High School on a U.S. military base in Germany. She is a member of both the National Honor Society and the National German Honor Society and is a three-time recipient of the KHS Athletic-Academic Achievement Award.

Savannah Cohen

Cohen played tennis for two years in high school and amassed a 40-10 record. She won the Union County singles tournament as a sophomore and was named to the NJSIAA All Group-IV First Team and All-State Third Team.

Out of high school, she finished second at a Level 2 National USTA tournament last spring, earning her 5-star status with Tennis Recruiting and a national rank of 47 in the Class of 2025.

“Savannah is an extremely tough competitor,” Ritchie said. “Our coaching staff has watched her in many games and we were impressed with her perseverance and determination. We are excited to work with her and help her grow her game.”

“I chose Rutgers because it offers the mix of academics and athletics that I was looking for,” Cohen said. “Rutgers competes in the Big Ten Conference, and it has always been a goal of mine to play a Division I sport in a strong conference. I am proud to represent both Rutgers and my home state. I'm glad my family and friends will get the chance to see me compete in competitions because it's so close to home.”

Cohen is from Westfield, New Jersey, with her parents Mike and Kelly, along with her sister Gillian. Gillian will play lacrosse at the Division I level.

“My dad is my biggest sports influence,” Cohen said. “He's the one who got me into sports in the first place. He played all types of sports with me from when I was young. He took me to all my USTA national tournaments all over the country. He helped me through some of my toughest matches by giving me useful advice during the substitutions.”

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