The ITA Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award honors a Division I women’s student-athlete who displays inspiring dedication and commitment to her team, which has enhanced her team’s performance and exemplified the spirit of college tennis. The award dates back to 1997 and is in memory of the late and widely admired Penn women’s tennis coach Cissie Leary.
Maya Jacobs has been an integral part of the Rutgers women's tennis program the past four years. Jacobs started her career with the Scarlet Knights playing No. 5 singles, but put in countless hours of work to move up the lineup. She finished her senior season playing at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles.
In addition to her athletic excellence, Jacobs exhibits model sportsmanship. Despite having to battle through injuries during her collegiate career, Jacobs continued to be a leader on the team with a positive attitude. In 2021, she won the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Outside of tennis, Jacobs is committed to bettering the Rutgers community. She is a member of the university's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Diversity and Inclusivity Coalition.
A letter from Rutgers Women's Tennis Head Coach, Hilary Ritchie
Dear Maya,
I am thrilled that the ITA Committee has selected you as the recipient of the National Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award. Throughout your career at Rutgers University, you have been a critical part of our team’s growth and success. With each year, you improved as a leader and role model. In your senior year, you truly exemplified what a team captain should/can be: dedicated, passionate, selfless, hard working and encouraging.
Those of us close to you know that your collegiate career was filled with ups and downs. Life, like tennis, is easy when things are going your way. It is how we face adversity and hardship that tests our character and strength. I witnessed you go through the range of emotions during those hard times. I am most proud of you for the manner in which you overcome those obstacles. You are stronger for it, and so are your teammates.
As you know, it is part of our team’s philosophy that we must give more to our teammates than we take from them. This comes in the form of effort, energy, and verbal communication. This year, you demonstrated how giving your full effort during every practice and competition empowers your teammates. We are grateful of your dedication.
You were not only a leader amongst our tennis team, but within the entire athletic department. You took advantage of the committees and platforms that exist at Rutgers to connect with the greater Scarlet Knight community. Thank you for being a terrific ambassador for Rutgers Athletics. We are all rooting for you in your future endeavors.