USTA Northern Announces 2026 Hall of Fame Class and Section Award Winners

Eagan, Minn., October 7, 2026 — USTA Northern today announced its 2026 Hall of Fame inductees and section award recipients, honoring extraordinary leaders, coaches, volunteers, and organizations whose passion and dedication continue to grow the game of tennis across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Wisconsin. This year’s inductees feature four distinguished individuals being welcomed into the USTA Northern Hall of Fame and honored at the Awards and Hall of Fame Gala, which will be held in Sioux Falls on October 31, in conjunction with the 2026 MarketBeat Open ATP Challenger 100 tournament.

2026 USTA Northern Hall of Fame Inductees

• Bob Cordova - Bismarck, N.D.: Affectionately known as "Mr. North Dakota Tennis," Bob Cordova has spent more than five decades playing, coaching, and championing the sport of tennis. He founded the Bismarck/Mandan Tennis Association in 1972, introduced USTA tournaments to North Dakota, and served as tournament director for the Jackie Dockter Memorial Tennis Tournament for over 15 years. Over 30 years as a high school coach in Bismarck, as well as collegiate coaching roles at Bismarck State College and the University of Mary, Bob mentored generations of student-athletes, and was an inaugural inductee into the North Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014.

• Jessie Daw - Vermillion, S.D.: A former South Dakota state singles and doubles champion, Big Ten competitor, and the University of Illinois's first nationally ranked female tennis player, Jessie Daw has made a lasting impact as a player, educator, and administrator. She served as Head Women's Tennis Coach and Professor at Northern State University, Executive Director of Huether Family Match Pointe, and Vice Chair of the USTA Local Play and Competition Committee. Jessie helped author the national USTA Net Generation curriculum based on the American Development Model, served eight years on the USTA Northern Board of Directors, and was recognized at the US Open as a 2025 USTA Champion of Equality. She was inducted into the South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame in 2018. 

• Liz Hamburg - Rapid City, S.D.: Liz Hamburg has provided nearly two decades of executive and volunteer leadership to tennis locally, sectionally, and nationally. As President of the Black Hills Tennis Association, she spearheaded the development of Rapid City's 12-court Parkview tennis complex and coached St. Thomas More High School girls tennis to a 2015 state championship. Liz served as President of USTA Northern, becoming the first person to serve two consecutive terms. She was inducted into the South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame in 2022.

• Cindy Huether - Sioux Falls, S.D.: A transformative leader in grassroots and community tennis, Cindy Huether served as Executive Director of the Sioux Falls Tennis Association and co-founding board member of Huether Family Match Pointe, helping build the state’s first non-profit public indoor facility created by a Community Tennis Association. She led initiatives to introduce tennis to 24 local elementary school grounds with permanent court lines, construct 10-and-under courts at Spellerberg Park, and renovate Augustana University's tennis facility. Cindy was named 2017 TIA National Tennis Advocate of the Year, inducted into the South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021, and currently serves as Secretary of the USTA Northern Board of Directors.

Permanent plaques honoring their achievements will be displayed at the USTA Northern Hall of Fame located at the Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center in St. Paul, Minn.