University Southern California Trojans
USC Women's Tennis Legend Barbara Hallquist DeGroot To Be Inducted Into Pac-12 Hall of Honor
February 23, 2023 | Women's Tennis
LOS ANGELES - Barbara Hallquist DeGroot, the first woman to receive a full athletic scholarship to USC and arguably the program's most decorated alumna, has been announced as a 2023 Pac-12 Hall of Honor Inductee.Â
Hallquist DeGroot is part of the first ever all-female class inducted into the Hall of Honor in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, which the Pac-12 continues to celebrate through its powHER of the Pac campaign since its launch on the milestone anniversary in June 2022.
Formal inducion will take place on Friday, March 3 during a private ceremony, as part of the week-long Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament celebrations in Las Vegas, prior to that day's semifinal matchups. The class will also be celebrated during a special recognition at halftime of the day's first semifinal matchup at Michelob Ultra Arena inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center.Â
ABOUT HALLQUIST:Â
An ITA Hall of Famer and national champion, DeGroot was the first woman to receive a full athletic scholarship at USC after the passage of Title IX. She captured the national collegiate singles title in both 1976 and 1977 and played on four national championship teams under coach David Borelli.Â
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Ranked No. 1 in Southern California as a junior player, Hallquist won two national USTA junior titles, and nine national USTA titles overall. She was a co-recipient of the USTA Girls' Sportsmanship Trophy in 1975. At USC, Hallquist was a four-time All-American, named Outstanding Female Senior Student-Athlete in 1979 and winning the USC Post Graduate Scholarship Award. Turning pro after college and attaining a career high world ranking of No. 30, she competed in all four Grand Slam events and reached the quarterfinals in singles at the 1980 U.S. Open. From 1985-88, Hallquist served as USC assistant coach, helping guide the team to the 1985 NCAA team championship. She later returned to her alma mater in 2014 for three years as a volunteer assistant coach after having served as the women's tennis coach at Cate School in Carpinteria, Calif.Â
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Hallquist DeGroot was enshrined in the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011, just one year after her induction into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women's Collegiate Hall of Fame in 2010.Â
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ABOUT 2023 HALL OF HONOR CLASS:
The 2023 class is the 21st all-time to be assembled since the Hall's creation in 2002, and fifth since it expanded to include Pac-12 alumni from all sponsored sport programs to align with the Conference's historic, broad-based athletic excellence. The Hall of Honor illustrates the rich history of the Conference of Champions, as the Pac-12 leads all conferences with 546 national titles across 29 sports, over 200 more than the nearest league.Â
"The Pac-12 is honored to induct this class of legendary athletes, coaches and administrators into the Hall of Honor," said Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff. "The 12 inductees represented their respective universities at the highest levels of athletic excellence, and we are especially proud to recognize this first-ever all-female class as we continue to honor the historic legacy of Title IX."Â
Joining Hallquist DeGroot on the prestigious 2023 list will be Susie Parra (Arizona), Jessica Mendoza (Stanford), Jackie Johnson-Powell (ASU), Natallie Williams (UCLA), Dr. Luella Lilly (Cal), Ceal Barry (Colorado), Kim Gaucher (Utah), Janie Takeda Reed (Oregon), Danielle Lawrie (Washington), Dr. Mary Budke (Oregon State) and Sarah Silvernail (Washington State).Â
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Hallquist DeGroot is part of the first ever all-female class inducted into the Hall of Honor in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, which the Pac-12 continues to celebrate through its powHER of the Pac campaign since its launch on the milestone anniversary in June 2022.
Formal inducion will take place on Friday, March 3 during a private ceremony, as part of the week-long Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament celebrations in Las Vegas, prior to that day's semifinal matchups. The class will also be celebrated during a special recognition at halftime of the day's first semifinal matchup at Michelob Ultra Arena inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center.Â
ABOUT HALLQUIST:Â
An ITA Hall of Famer and national champion, DeGroot was the first woman to receive a full athletic scholarship at USC after the passage of Title IX. She captured the national collegiate singles title in both 1976 and 1977 and played on four national championship teams under coach David Borelli.Â
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Ranked No. 1 in Southern California as a junior player, Hallquist won two national USTA junior titles, and nine national USTA titles overall. She was a co-recipient of the USTA Girls' Sportsmanship Trophy in 1975. At USC, Hallquist was a four-time All-American, named Outstanding Female Senior Student-Athlete in 1979 and winning the USC Post Graduate Scholarship Award. Turning pro after college and attaining a career high world ranking of No. 30, she competed in all four Grand Slam events and reached the quarterfinals in singles at the 1980 U.S. Open. From 1985-88, Hallquist served as USC assistant coach, helping guide the team to the 1985 NCAA team championship. She later returned to her alma mater in 2014 for three years as a volunteer assistant coach after having served as the women's tennis coach at Cate School in Carpinteria, Calif.Â
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Hallquist DeGroot was enshrined in the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011, just one year after her induction into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women's Collegiate Hall of Fame in 2010.Â
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ABOUT 2023 HALL OF HONOR CLASS:
The 2023 class is the 21st all-time to be assembled since the Hall's creation in 2002, and fifth since it expanded to include Pac-12 alumni from all sponsored sport programs to align with the Conference's historic, broad-based athletic excellence. The Hall of Honor illustrates the rich history of the Conference of Champions, as the Pac-12 leads all conferences with 546 national titles across 29 sports, over 200 more than the nearest league.Â
"The Pac-12 is honored to induct this class of legendary athletes, coaches and administrators into the Hall of Honor," said Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff. "The 12 inductees represented their respective universities at the highest levels of athletic excellence, and we are especially proud to recognize this first-ever all-female class as we continue to honor the historic legacy of Title IX."Â
Joining Hallquist DeGroot on the prestigious 2023 list will be Susie Parra (Arizona), Jessica Mendoza (Stanford), Jackie Johnson-Powell (ASU), Natallie Williams (UCLA), Dr. Luella Lilly (Cal), Ceal Barry (Colorado), Kim Gaucher (Utah), Janie Takeda Reed (Oregon), Danielle Lawrie (Washington), Dr. Mary Budke (Oregon State) and Sarah Silvernail (Washington State).Â
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