Bunny Vosters  (1919-1999)

            Bunny was the first person inducted into the Delaware Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995. Unmatched in her will to win, Bunny combined grace and athleticism with unparalleled sportsmanship in a tennis career that spanned a lifetime. Bunny was a nationally ranked junior player from Pennsylvania, She  went on to play three sports at Ursinus College, field hockey, basketball and tennis. 

            Bunny broke into the USTA Top 10 in 1942. She impressed the crowds at Forest Hills with a beautifully fought match against Patricia Todd. She possessed great accuracy and “a nearly unretrievable drop shot,” In 1949 Vosters was awarded the prestigious USTA Service Bowl. 

            Bunny shared her love of the game with her family. She teamed with daughters Gretchen and Nina to win a record 26 national mother-daughter titles. A pioneering competitor on the USTA senior circuit, she dominated the National Women’s Grass Court Championships throughout the 1980s. Further demonstrating her racket wizardry, she also won 14 national squash titles. Celebrated for her tireless dedication to promoting tennis on all levels, particularly through the Delaware Foundation for Physical Education (now known as the Delaware Tennis Foundation). Bunny is remembered as one of the game’s most gracious ambassadors. 

Career Highlights                                                                                                                       

  • Middle States Girls’ Singles Champion 1935
  • 3-sport athlete at Ursinus College (basketball, field hockey, tennis) 1936-40 All-American reserve in field hockey
  • Eastern States Clay Court Singles Champion 1939, 1940; Finalist 1941
  • Ranked in Middle States Top 10 (No. 3) 1940
  • Philadelphia and District Women’s Grass Court Champion 1941, 1942
  • Ranked No.1 in USTA Middle States 1942
  • Ranked in USTA Top 10 1942 (No. 9)
  • U.S. National Championship Quarter-finalist 1948
  • Chair, Junior Wightman Cup Committee, USTA Middle Atlantic Section 1948
  • USTA Service Bowl Award 1949
  • Captain, U.S. Federation Cup Team 1964: Billie Jean King, Nancy Richey, Karen Susman and Rosie Casals
  • Represented the USTA/Middle States in Sears Cup competition for over 30 years
  • U.S. Grass Court Champion Women’s 40 Doubles 1974
  • U.S. Grass Court Champion Women’s 50 1975
  • U.S. Grass Court Champion Women’s 55 Singles 1981; Doubles 1981-2, 1984, 1986
  • U.S. Grass Court Champion Women’s 60 Singles 1984-5, 1988; Doubles 1987-8
  • U.S. Grass Court Champion Women’s 65 Singles 1985-6, 1988-9; Doubles 1989, 1991-2
  • U.S. Grass Court Mother-Daughter Champion 1967-71; 1973-75, 1977-86
  • U.S. Clay Court Mother-Daughter Champion 1976-1980, 1983, 1984
  • U.S. Hardcourt Mother-Daughter Champion 1977
  • 14 national doubles and senior doubles squash titles
  • USTA Family of the Year 1964 and 1988
  • Middle States Family of the Year 1965
  • Inducted into the Ursinus College Hall of Fame 1974
  • Inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame 1980
  • Inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame/Delaware County 1989
  • Inducted into the USTA/Middle States Hall of Fame 1994 (inaugural year)
  • Inducted into the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame 2019

​ ​Delaware Tennis Foundation, Inc.