News & Features

College Commitment
Countdown: Five-Star Turpin Heads to College Station
by Gregg Jones, 27 March 2008

Ashley Turpin was born into a storied Texas tennis family, the granddaughter and daughter of top college players. She took up the sport at age four, swatting balls with a ping-pong paddle until she could swing a racquet.

Now, the gutsy 17-year-old is poised to write her own college tennis chapter - at Texas A&M University. After signing a letter of intent last fall to play for the Aggies, the five-star recruit from New Braunfels, Tex., now bubbles with excitement when she talks about joining the squad at College Station next August.

"It's almost too good to be true," said Turpin. "My Dad has always heard great things about the school. So many people have recommended it."

In choosing Texas A&M, Turpin is blazing a new tennis trail for her accomplished clan. Her grandfather, Jack, attended Rice University, where the stadium court bears his name. Her father, Mark, played for Southern Methodist University. And older brother Rusty is currently a freshman on the University of Tulsa team.