2020-21 Women's Tennis Roster
Roster
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Jessica Failla
- Height:
- 5-6
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Ramona, Calif.
- High School:
- Connections Academy
- Prev School:
- USC
AWARDS:Â
ITA All-American - 2021
All-WCC singles second team– 2019
All-WCC doubles second team- 2019
WCC All-Academic honorable mention- 2019, 20
Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete – 2019, 20
WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Silver) - 2020
WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Bronze) – 2019
WCC Player of the Week – 2/19/19
WCC Doubles Pair of the Week – 2/19/19
PEPPERDINE 2020-21: Achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 4 in the ITA Rankings ... Also posted a career-high No. 9 ranking in doubles with Anastasia Iamachkine ... Earned ITA All-American honors ... Recorded singles wins against the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5 ranked singles players in the country.
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PEPPERDINE 2019-20: Finished spring season ranked #35 in singles and #55 in doubles with partner Anastasia Iamachkine … Completed upset of #2 Anna Turati of #4 Texas to clinch an eventual 7-0 win for the Waves … Went 6-2 in dual singles … Earned 2020 WCC All-Academic honorable mention status as a graduate student … Named WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Gold) and a Pepperdine Scholar Athlete.
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PEPPERDINE 2018-19: Named to All-WCC singles and doubles second teams … Appeared in 24 singles and 28 doubles matches as a junior … Ended season ranked in doubles at #41 and was ranked as high as #12 (2/8/19) while ending her singles season ranked #53 with her highest ranking coming at #28 (1/26/19) … Earned a .750 winning percentage (18-4) at the singles No. 2 (2-0) and 3 (8-3) positions and a .678 winning percentage (19-9) at No. 1 and 2 doubles with partner Anastasia Iamachkine … Garnered WCC All-Academic honorable mention status.
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PEPPERDINE 2017-18: Entered season with her highest ranking at #16 in ITA singles … Did not play in the spring season … Played two matches overall, with a 1-1 record in fall tournament play.
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (2015-17): Played at the University of Southern California for two seasons from 2015-17 and earned All-Pac 12 second team honors in her sophomore campaign … While at USC, amassed a 44-20 overall singles record with a 24-10 singles dual record … She tabbed a 34-15 overall doubles mark with a 20-11 doubles dual record … In 2017, ranked as high as #33 in the ITA singles national rankings while playing in the top-three positions for the women of Troy … Reached the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship in 2017 … In doubles, her and partner Rianna Valdes marked a 7-6 overall record, including 5-3 in the #1 position to rank #41 in the ITA doubles national rankings … Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention and USC Academic GPA award in 2017.
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JUNIORS: Ranked #6 nationally in 18s and #4 in Southern California 18s rankings … Won 16s level two national, 18s winter national … 2015 National Hardcourts Sportsmanship winner … Competed for teams in the maze cup, zonals and intersectional.
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HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Connections Academy in 2015 … Also attended Ramona High School in Ramona, Calif. from 2011-14 … While at Connections, she went undefeated at 36-0 under coach Matt McCormick … Two-time San Diego Player of the Year … Won CIF individuals for San Diego as a junior at Ramona … Named 2013 San Diego Sportsmanship Player of the Year.
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PERSONAL: Daughter of Greg and Katrina Failla who are tennis coaches … Has three younger siblings, Joshua, Julia and Joel … Both parents played collegiate and professional tennis – Greg played at Long Beach and USC and finished ranked #3 nationally with a career-high ATP of 220; Katrina played for Trinity University and ranked as high as #2 nationally … Dream is to go on a mission trip to Africa … Biggest sports hero is Michael Chang “because he competed with so much heart and always gave all the glory to God."
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FAVORITES: Michael Chang and Agnieszka Radwanksa (pro athletes) … the Bible (book) … The Longest Ride (movie) … Shark Tank (TV show) … George Strait (musical artist) … pesto pasta (food) … Avocado toast (snack) … mountain biking (sport other than tennis) … Favorite hobbies including hiking, mountain biking, reading and spending time with family and friends.
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WHY YOU CHOSE PEPPERDINE: “I chose Pepperdine because it is such a great school athletically and academically. Pepperdine is located in a beautiful and peaceful setting and I know I will feel at home there. The girls on the team compete at such a high level of intensity and it is evident that everyone is passionate about improving. I’m thrilled to be given such an amazing opportunity to compete for Pepperdine.”
ITA All-American - 2021
All-WCC singles second team– 2019
All-WCC doubles second team- 2019
WCC All-Academic honorable mention- 2019, 20
Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete – 2019, 20
WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Silver) - 2020
WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Bronze) – 2019
WCC Player of the Week – 2/19/19
WCC Doubles Pair of the Week – 2/19/19
PEPPERDINE 2020-21: Achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 4 in the ITA Rankings ... Also posted a career-high No. 9 ranking in doubles with Anastasia Iamachkine ... Earned ITA All-American honors ... Recorded singles wins against the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5 ranked singles players in the country.
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PEPPERDINE 2019-20: Finished spring season ranked #35 in singles and #55 in doubles with partner Anastasia Iamachkine … Completed upset of #2 Anna Turati of #4 Texas to clinch an eventual 7-0 win for the Waves … Went 6-2 in dual singles … Earned 2020 WCC All-Academic honorable mention status as a graduate student … Named WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Gold) and a Pepperdine Scholar Athlete.
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PEPPERDINE 2018-19: Named to All-WCC singles and doubles second teams … Appeared in 24 singles and 28 doubles matches as a junior … Ended season ranked in doubles at #41 and was ranked as high as #12 (2/8/19) while ending her singles season ranked #53 with her highest ranking coming at #28 (1/26/19) … Earned a .750 winning percentage (18-4) at the singles No. 2 (2-0) and 3 (8-3) positions and a .678 winning percentage (19-9) at No. 1 and 2 doubles with partner Anastasia Iamachkine … Garnered WCC All-Academic honorable mention status.
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PEPPERDINE 2017-18: Entered season with her highest ranking at #16 in ITA singles … Did not play in the spring season … Played two matches overall, with a 1-1 record in fall tournament play.
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (2015-17): Played at the University of Southern California for two seasons from 2015-17 and earned All-Pac 12 second team honors in her sophomore campaign … While at USC, amassed a 44-20 overall singles record with a 24-10 singles dual record … She tabbed a 34-15 overall doubles mark with a 20-11 doubles dual record … In 2017, ranked as high as #33 in the ITA singles national rankings while playing in the top-three positions for the women of Troy … Reached the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship in 2017 … In doubles, her and partner Rianna Valdes marked a 7-6 overall record, including 5-3 in the #1 position to rank #41 in the ITA doubles national rankings … Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention and USC Academic GPA award in 2017.
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JUNIORS: Ranked #6 nationally in 18s and #4 in Southern California 18s rankings … Won 16s level two national, 18s winter national … 2015 National Hardcourts Sportsmanship winner … Competed for teams in the maze cup, zonals and intersectional.
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HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Connections Academy in 2015 … Also attended Ramona High School in Ramona, Calif. from 2011-14 … While at Connections, she went undefeated at 36-0 under coach Matt McCormick … Two-time San Diego Player of the Year … Won CIF individuals for San Diego as a junior at Ramona … Named 2013 San Diego Sportsmanship Player of the Year.
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PERSONAL: Daughter of Greg and Katrina Failla who are tennis coaches … Has three younger siblings, Joshua, Julia and Joel … Both parents played collegiate and professional tennis – Greg played at Long Beach and USC and finished ranked #3 nationally with a career-high ATP of 220; Katrina played for Trinity University and ranked as high as #2 nationally … Dream is to go on a mission trip to Africa … Biggest sports hero is Michael Chang “because he competed with so much heart and always gave all the glory to God."
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FAVORITES: Michael Chang and Agnieszka Radwanksa (pro athletes) … the Bible (book) … The Longest Ride (movie) … Shark Tank (TV show) … George Strait (musical artist) … pesto pasta (food) … Avocado toast (snack) … mountain biking (sport other than tennis) … Favorite hobbies including hiking, mountain biking, reading and spending time with family and friends.
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WHY YOU CHOSE PEPPERDINE: “I chose Pepperdine because it is such a great school athletically and academically. Pepperdine is located in a beautiful and peaceful setting and I know I will feel at home there. The girls on the team compete at such a high level of intensity and it is evident that everyone is passionate about improving. I’m thrilled to be given such an amazing opportunity to compete for Pepperdine.”
