Wisconsin Badgers

Honors: 2015 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award

2014-15 Singles: Finished the season with an overall record of 14-13 which included a 12-8 record in dual matches … tied for the team high in singles victories during Big Ten play with 6 wins highlighted by a victory over Athena Trouillot of #44 Michigan State, 6-4, 6-0, on March 21, 2015.

2014-15 Doubles: Overall record of 15-13 which included a mark of 11-6 in dual matches … teamed with Sidney Rider for UW-best 6 victories in Big Ten play … the pair went 15-13, winning 7 of their last 10 matches.

A native of Saint Petersburg, Russia, Stepanova comes to Madison after a successful tennis career in the Czech Republic where she finished 2013 as the 34th-ranked player in the nation and earned the No. 5 ranking in the North Moravian Region for U18.

"I traveled to the Czech Republic to recruit Ekaterina and that was extremely important and valuable," Samara said. "I can't say enough good things about her. She is humble and has great work ethic and is technically sound in every shot. She's going to certainly raise the doubles level for us and will work hard to make us better. She's a tall, strong kid who can get even stronger. Plus, she's a really good person and will definitely be a great addition."

In U18 tournaments, Stepanova was a two-time singles winner in both B and C categories as well as a semifinalist at the top level, A class. She was also part of doubles teams that claimed three B class titles and enjoyed a pair of class A runner-up finishes. Stepanova also claimed adult tournament singles and doubles championships at the C level over the last two years. Stepanova maintained a 4.0 GPA and was an honors student at Gymnasium "Alma Mater.

Personal: Majoring in Biology