The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men’s Tennis adds graduate transfer Ciamarra
05.25.2021 | Men's Tennis
Richard Ciamarra, an ITA All-America and three-time All-ACC honoree from Notre Dame, will join the Longhorns as a graduate transfer for the 2021-22 season.
Austin, Texas – Richard Ciamarra, an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-America and three-time All-ACC honoree from Notre Dame, will join with the Longhorns as a graduate transfer for the 2021-22 season, head coach Bruce Berque announced Tuesday.
"We are super excited that Ritchie will be joining us next season," head coach Bruce Berque said. "He is a proven winner at the highest levels of college tennis, and I know he will be a tremendous addition to our team. Several of our guys know him quite well, and we expect a smooth transition for him into what has proven to be a very close-knit team."
A second-team All-ACC selection in 2021, Ciamarra is currently No. 82 in the ITA singles rankings with a high ranking this year of No. 6 and has posted a 15-7 record. He is also ranked No. 43 in doubles with Axel Nefve and has a 15-5 mark with three different partners in dual matches after Notre Dame did not compete in fall play.
"First of all I want to thank all of my coaches and teammates at Notre Dame for an incredible experience at such a special place," Ciamarra said. "When I decided to enter the transfer portal, I immediately thought about many different schools, but the one thing that stood out about this Texas team was the fact that they are so young and competing at the highest level of college tennis. I was thoroughly impressed with the tenacity, perseverance, and maturity of this young team, and after many talks with Coach Berque and one of my friends on the team, Eliot Spizzirri, I knew the University of Texas was a perfect fit for me. As I enter the last year of my college career, I am proud to say that I will be doing it as a Longhorn, and I can't wait to compete alongside such a special group of guys and contend for championships."
Last season, Ciamarra was one of 20 players named an ITA All-American in singles and was also chosen the ITA Midwest Region Player to Watch following a season cut short by the pandemic. He was No. 8 in the final singles rankings of the year after going 20-8, including 12 wins against ranked opponents, and No. 44 in the final doubles rankings with partner Tristan McCormick.
The Southington, Conn. native reached a high singles ranking of No. 5 nationally last year and was a finalist at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic, a consolation finalist in singles and a doubles quarterfinalist in doubles at the ITA All-American Championships, and a semifinalist at the ITA Fall National Championships.
At the ITA National Fall Championships, Ciamarra earned a second-round win over the tournament's No. 2 seed, Keegan Smith of UCLA, and followed it with wins over Philip Henning of Georgia and Hady Habib of Texas A&M to reach the semifinals. In his final four matches of the season, he earned three ranked victories, including over opponents from Michigan, Louisville, and Northwestern.
With the shortened season, the Atlantic Coast Conference did not select an all-conference team in 2020, but prior to that, Ciamarra earned third-team honors in each of his first two season with the Irish. In 2019, he went 14-14 in singles and partnered with McCormick to rise as high as No. 9 in the doubles rankings, earning a 17-8 overall record and a bid to the NCAA Doubles Championship, along with winning the doubles title at the ITA Midwest Regionals. He was also selected to the All-ACC Academic team that year. As a freshman, he tallied a 24-16 mark in singles play, including 20-9 duals in dual matches, and a 24-15 doubles mark, including 16-12 dual matches.
Prior to Notre Dame, Ciamarra was a top-15 blue-chip recruit by TennisRecruiting.net. He reached a No. 1 junior ranking by the USTA . He earned his bachelor's degree from Notre Dame with a degree in finance from the Mendoza College of Business.
