BUFFALO, NY - Five University at Buffalo tennis players were named ITA Scholar-Athletes and the UB women's tennis team was named an ITA All-Academic Team for the 2004-05 academic year, as announced today by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).

Kristen Ortman

On the women's side, Kristen Ortman (Amherst, NY/Amherst) and Katrin Fischer (Ternitz, Austria/Borg) were named ITA Scholar-Athletes for the second straight season. Ortman, an early childhood education and sociology major with a 3.55 cumulative grade point average, was the Bulls' Coaches' Award winner in 2004-05. She finished the season with a 12-11 singles record and a 15-9 doubles mark. She is UB's Division I career leader in both singles (40) and doubles (40) victories entering her senior season.

Katrin Fischer

Fischer was the Bulls' Most Improved Player this past season after posting a 15-8 singles record and a 10-11 doubles record during her sophomore campaign. She is an English major with a 3.716 GPA.

Ortman and Fischer helped the women's tennis team to a 3.268 team grade point average in the fall semester - fourth-highest among all of Buffalo's varsity teams - and a 3.157 team GPA in the spring semester - sixth highest among all teams. The Bulls were one of just four Mid-American Conference women's teams (along with Ball State, Marshall and Western Michigan) to earn ITA All-Academic Team distinction in 2004-05.

Josh Liederman

On the men's side, Josh Liederman (Queens Village, NY/Benjamin Cardozo) and Joe Popielarczyk (Buffalo, NY/McKinley) were both named ITA Scholar-Athletes for the third year in a row, while Mike Rockman (Toronto, Ontario/Thornhill) earned the honor for the first time in his career. Liederman is an economics major with a 3.815 grade point average who completed his four-year career with 35 singles wins and 31 doubles victories.

Joe Popielarczyk

Popielarczyk carries a 3.813 GPA as a social sciences major. He had five singles wins and four doubles victories last season as a junior. Rockman was an All-MAC Second Team selection in 2004-05 after leading the Bulls with a 27-12 singles record and a 12-17 doubles mark. His 27 singles wins broke the UB Division I record for singles victories in a season. He is a psychology major with a 3.503 grade point average.

Mike Rockman

The ITA All-Academic Team award honors teams that have a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above for the academic year. Individual student-athletes earn ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition by virtue of having a GPA over a 3.50 for the academic year. They must also earn a varsity letter and have been enrolled at their current institution for at least two semesters.