Plant tennis standout Li commits to Yale

For Plant senior tennis player Amber Li, the choice was Yale or Harvard?

But when Yale women's tennis coach Danielle Lund McNamara invited Li to play for the Bulldogs during a home visit Monday evening, the back-to-back Times Hillsborough County girls tennis player of the year accepted -- after getting over the initial disbelief.

"At first I think I was in shock," Li said of her dinner with the Yale coach at Brio's at International Plaza. "Then when she went to the restroom, and everyone was like, 'Are you crazy?' When she came back, I accepted."

Li, who helped Plant to a Class 3A state team title in 2009 sandwiched by a pair of state runner up performances, visited Yale in the spring time.

"I loved Yale," she said. "When I went there, I didn't want to come back. I just felt more comfortable there than I did at Harvard. I felt like I got along with the coach much better."

Li will fit the mold academically. She has a 3.91 unweighted GPA, which goes to a 6.16 when weighted.

This spring, the Bulldogs were ranked 44th in the nation, finishing the season 16-6 and 5-2 in the Ivy League.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA (eencina@sptimes.com)

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