TEMPE, Ariz. – Wichita State women's tennis player Natsumi Kurahashi was named the 2024 Cissie Leary Award Recipient for Sportsmanship in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central region on Wednesday morning.
 
The ITA Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship goes to a Division I women's player from each region who displays inspiring dedication and commitment to her team, which has enhanced her team's performance and exemplified the spirit of college tennis. It dates back to 1997 and is in memory of the late and widely admired Penn women's tennis coach Cissie Leary.
 
A native of Toyota, Japan, Kurahashi tied for the highest doubles win total on the team in dual matches this season with 15, tying with her teammate and doubles partner, Xin Tong Wang. Kurahashi also added six dual singles wins to bring her dual win total to 21 on the season. She competed in every match of the season and played at the No. 1 or No. 2 position in both doubles and singles.
 
Kurahashi becomes the sixth Shocker to earn the award, joining Torrie Browning (2008), Lutfiana Budiharto (2012), Montse Blasco Fernandez (2014), Rebecca Pedrazzi (2016), and Giuliia Guidetti (2018).
 
As a team, the Shockers earned an ITA Community Service Honorable Mention Award for their dedication to serving the Wichita community. It's the fifth time the program has earned a community service award, and their fourth community servicee award in the last five seasons.