Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG—Virginia Tech men's tennis head coach Jim Thompson is delighted to announce the signing of Frank Thompson and Matt Harper to the 2021 recruiting class.
"I could not be any more excited about signing Matt Harper and Frank Thompson to our program," Coach Thompson says. "We always talk about our program being a family and this certainly seems like we got two great guys who we know are a fit for our program."
Family connections remain a centerpiece in the fabric of Virginia Tech tennis. Frank Thompson has grown up around the program, as the son of Coach Thompson. Matt is the younger brother of graduate student Mitch Harper, an All-ACC first team member in 2017-2018 and the VaSID Player of the Year.
Along with their familiarity with the team through family connections, both players bring a level of leadership and integrity that is expected as student-athletes at Virginia Tech.
"Both are excellent players who will represent Virginia Tech with great pride on and off the court," Thompson states. "They are both leaders and hard workers. I look forward to having the opportunity to watch them both grow and develop as people and win lots of matches as Hokies!"
FRANK THOMPSON
Blacksburg, Va.
Blacksburg High School
UTR Rating: 12
Prior to Virginia Tech: Recognized as a blue chip prospect by TennisRecruiting.net… No. 1 high school prospect in the state of Virginia… No. 2 prospect in the Mid-Atlantic Region… Two-time VHSL Class 4 state singles champion… USTA 16-under national doubles champion… Timesland Boys Player of the Year… Won 16-under doubles title in the Easter Bowl Championships
Personal: Son of Coach Thompson and B'easy Thompson… Has two sisters, Sophia (VT '19) and Ginsey… Accepted into Pamplin… Boasts 4.0 high school GPA
MATT HARPER
Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia
St. Peters Lutheran College
UTR Rating: 12
Prior to Virginia Tech: Currently ranked No. 6 in Australia for his age group… Ranked No. 132 overall in Australia… Won Queensland state championship and named Queensland captain… MVP and team captain for St. Peters Lutheran College… Semi-finalist in 18-Under Doubles Australian Championships… Undefeated in singles as Player No. 1 for Queensland… Runner-up in ITF Gold Coast Doubles
Personal: Brother Mitch is graduate student on Virginia Tech tennis team… Other brother Pat plays tennis at Tennessee…