Georgia women's tennis announces death of Lilly Kimbell

Sad news came out of Athens on Tuesday, as Georgia announced the death of Lilly Kimbell. A former player inside the women’s tennis program who consistently performed, Kimbell was just 31-years-old.

Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace released a statement on Kimbell’s passing, saying we will go down as an all-time double great within the program. He also sent out thoughts and prayers to the tennis star’s prayers.

“We were stunned and heartbroken to learn of Lilly passing away,” Wallace said. “I will always remember how she helped create a culture of excellence with her attitude and work ethic. Lilly was a fantastic teammate and was always smiling and laughing during practice and matches.

“She ranks as one of the most successful doubles players in Georgia tennis history. During the spring of her sophomore year, she went undefeated in doubles with Maho (Kowase), and their 22-match winning streak is still a school record. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family.”

Kimbell was part of Wallace’s teams for four years, having real success during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. The first saw Georgia win the SEC Tournament, while 2014 was a conference regular season championship. All four years Kimbell was on campus, the Bulldogs advanced at least to the NCAA quarterfinals.

On a personal level, Kimbell combined for 197 wins with 109 of those coming on the doubles scene. She was named to the SEC All-Tournament team in 2012 and 2014. Kimbell’s career ended on a high note as well, going 30-8 in singles matches and being named the ITA Regional Most Improved Senior of the Year.

As Wallace mentioned in his statement, Kimbell went undefeated her sophomore year in doubles alongside her partner, Kowase. The duo still hold the program record and should for a long time moving forward.