COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Senior Kallista Liu was named ITA National Most Improved Player of the Year on Friday.
 
Liu had a terrific senior year, notching 21 wins in singles and 16 in doubles. Liu was also named First Team All-Big Ten in 2025.
 
"This is a huge and well earned honor for Kallista. Her journey at Maryland is the epitome of what a Most Improved Player Award should look like, She came in playing six singles and left playing one and a unanimous all-B1G selection," said Head Coach Katie Dougherty. "She couldn't crack the doubles line-up her first two years and her senior year she's playing in the No. 1 spot and is ranked in doubles."
 
Liu began her collegiate career at Maryland after graduating a semester early from her high school, playing No. 6 in the lineup her entire freshman year. She picked up 15 wins in her freshman spring.
 
In her sophomore year Liu competed primarily at the No. 4 position and boasted a 26-4 singles record throughout the year and a 17-1 record in dual match play during the spring, going undefeated at the No. 4 in conference play.
 
Junior year Liu kept climbing the lineup and competed primarily at the No.3 spot. Going 26-10 overall with an 18-4 dual-match singles record.
 
Competing at the No. 1 her entire senior year, Liu finished the year 21-11 with a 12-7 dual match record in the spring.
 
After not competing in the Terrapins doubles lineup for her freshman and sophomore years, Liu has had significant improvement in doubles as well.
 
Liu ended this season with a career-high ITA doubles ranking of No. 43 with wins over the national No. 6 doubles pair of UCLA's Fakhir/Center as well as No. 16 South Carolina's Carnicella/Hamner.
 
Liu finished her collegiate career with 88 total singles wins and 34 doubles wins combining for a total of 122 wins.
 
"Throughout her career Kallista just put her head down and kept working no matter what was thrown her way," said Dougherty. "She listens, she works incredibly hard, and utilized the summer and winter breaks to keep getting better."
 
Liu graduated from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business this past May and is currently competing professionally. Liu is ranked at No. 1022 in the world.
 
"We're incredibly proud of not only the tennis player she's become but also the strong, smart, and driven woman she's grown into," said Dougherty.