Hall of Fame
Kelly (Kulp) Clemens is one of the best tennis athletes in school history, having been on the courts for the Raiders from 1997-2001. She ranks fourth in school history for career wins with 108, having totaled a 63-30-1 record in singles play and a 45-41 record in doubles play.
The most impressive aspect of Clemens’ career is that she served as SU’s No. 1 singles player and on the No. 1 doubles team for all four of her years in a Raider uniform. Her 108 career match victories are the most by any SU performer at No. 1 singles and doubles.
As a senior, Clemens was individually ranked No. 6 in the region and No. 45 in the country – the highest ranking of any PSAC player. She earned All-PSAC First Team honors, became the first SU player to reach the finals of the ITA tournament, and tied single-year school records for singles wins from dual meets (16) and overall singles wins (20).
Including her performance in doubles, her 38 combined wins established another new single-season school record. Clemens is also the SU single-year record holder for doubles victories (18), set in her senior season with Laura Atwater. The pairing was ranked No. 13 in the region during the postseason.
She was the team’s pacesetter in singles and doubles for each of her final three years. During a strong junior campaign, Kulp was 18-6 in singles – marking her fewest losses in any of her four years – while working to a 14-9 mark in doubles. That led to a No. 18 ranking in the region at year’s end.
As a sophomore, Kulp was 14-9-1 in singles and finished as the PSAC runner-up at No. 1 singles. She was 11-7 at No. 1 singles as a freshman.
Clemens majored in communications/journalism at Shippensburg. She began her post-graduate life working for White’s Harley-Davidson/Buell as their promotions and events coordinator while also organizing fund-raising events for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Kelly moved on to become the Senior Community Development Director for the Arthritis Foundation, Central PA Chapter, and now works part time for Manor Township.
She is married to Blake Clemens and the couple has three sons: Austin, Hunter and Brady.
