Legends of Ky Tennis the Hall of Fame Series | Podcast on RSS.com

Legends of Ky Tennis the Hall of Fame Series

Legends of Ky Tennis the Hall of Fame Series

by Dennis Emery, USTA Kentucky

Season 3

Conversation with Kentucky Tennis Legend Terry L. Bunnell

In today's Legends of Kentucky Tennis, Dennis Emery talks with Terry L. Bunnell. Terry shares his lifelong love of tennis and his passion for serving the game. He discusses the Weldon Classic and its important place in Kentucky tennis history, as well as his presidency and mission to make tennis accessible to everyone in the state. Terry was inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame in 2025 and is the namesake of the Terry L. Bunnell Tennis Courts at Caverna Independent School District.

Conversation with Kentucky Tennis Legend Andrew Varga

In today’s Legends of Kentucky Tennis conversation, Dennis Emery talks with Andrew Varga. Andrew of Louisville built an exceptional junior and collegiate tennis career. A four-time Creason and Kentucky State Closed champion, he earned No. 1 state rankings in every junior division, twice topped the Southern Section in doubles, and reached top-75 nationally. At St. Xavier High School, he twice made the state singles semifinals and captained the team to its first two state championships in KHSAA history. At the University of Kentucky, Varga was a four-year starter, two-time captain, and winner of the program’s only SEC Outdoor individual title. He ranks fourth in UK history with 128 singles wins and helped lead the Wildcats to their first NCAA Tournament appearance and top-15 national ranking. Andrew was recently inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame on February 6, 2026.

Season 2

Conversation with Kentucky Tennis Legend Rick Shafferman

In today’s Legends of Kentucky tennis conversation, Dennis Emery talks with Rick Shafferman. Rick tells of his journey from the park’s programs in Owensboro to the Presidency of the USTA Kentucky and the Raise a Racquet Foundation. The Foundation is the Endowment Fund for USTA Kentucky raising funds for tennis facilities, players and programs throughout Kentucky. Rick was a conference champion at Miami of Ohio and followed it up with a great career in adult USTA tennis. A highly respected leader in the Kentucky Tennis Community as he speaks to giving back to the sport he loves.

Conversation with Kentucky Tennis Legend Meg Peavy

In today’s Legends of Kentucky tennis conversation, Dennis Emery talks with Meg Peavy. Meg is the former University of Louisville number one player in the early years of Title nine and and went on to coach at U of L. She speaks about her tennis beginnings as a "parks kid " in Florida. Of special interest is her years’ work on the charitable side of tennis with the rising stars as its founder and other ventures which have had an enormous impact on the Louisville community. Her many current friends and friends to be will enjoy her story!

Conversation with Kentucky Tennis Legend Michael Cunningham

In today’s Legends of Kentucky tennis conversation, Dennis Emery talks with Michael Cunningham. Michael tells his story of rising from a lightly recruited junior player to multiple time gold ball winner and US National senior champion. This podcast also covers his Georgetown College years as player and coach, and his relationship with Hall of Famer John Herring. Michael talks about the immense impact his wife Jessica has had on his career. His humility shines through in this interview.

Conversation with Kentucky Tennis Legend Joseph Kroh

In today’s Legends of Kentucky tennis conversation, Dennis Emery talks with Joseph Kroh. Joe was the legendary St Xavier Coach who is widely acclaimed as the best high school coach in state high school history. His Louisville teams won a record 17 state team championships. More than a high school coach, he was instrumental in guiding his daughter Ashley to great success. This led to her reaching the NCAA Doubles Final for Marshall. Joe shares his theories on coaching and personal stories of how he built the St X juggernaut.

Conversation with Kentucky Tennis Legend Richard Benson

In today’s Legends of Kentucky tennis conversation, Dennis Emery talks with Richard Benson. Rich Benson, originally from Utah came to Kentucky in 1985 to play at the University of Kentucky. He has remained in Kentucky where he and his family call home. He is the only three time All American in UK Tennis History in doubles and reached the semifinals of the NCAA Doubles Tournament as a sophomore. Rich was a member of several of the best teams UK has fielded and was a leader on three top ten teams. He was a two-time SEC Champion individually. He went on to great success on the pro tour in doubles as he reached a ranking of 128 in the world on the ATP Tour. He shares his story of beating Andre Agassi and their friendship through his current job as head coach at Centre College.

Conversation with Kentucky Tennis Legend Jeff True

In today’s Legends of Kentucky tennis conversation, Dennis Emery talks with Jeff True. Jeff has been involved with Kentucky Tennis in so many ways. After successfully playing the National Junior Circuit he played for Indiana. He coached both the men’s and women’s programs at Western Kentucky. As part of that he ran over 100 junior tournaments where many top players got their start. His family won Kentucky Tennis Family of the Year and he claims one of his great joys is playing the National Father and Son Championships.

Conversation with Kentucky Tennis Legend Colleen Jones Underhill

In today’s Legends of Kentucky tennis conversation, Dennis Emery talks with Colleen Jones Underhill. Colleen was the number one ranked Kentucky Jr. female player for several years as well as securing a top 10 ranking in USTA Southern. She played for Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville where she was Kentucky High School State Champion and female player of the year. She continued her successful tennis career as number one singles at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Underhill continued to play competitively as an adult and has been a teaching tennis pro, and coach at her high school alma mater. She and her husband Todd are very philanthropically active in tennis and are principal donors of the Underhill Tennis Complex at Sacred Heart Academy and the Miami University outdoor tennis complex. She speaks about why that was important to her.

Season 1

Conversation with Kentucky Tennis Legend Rex Ecarma

In today’s Legends of Kentucky tennis conversation, Dennis Emery talks with Rex Ecarma. Rex Ecarma is a legendary figure in Kentucky collegiate tennis circles. He built the University of Louisville tennis program from playing their home matches at Triangle Park to the Bass Rudd Tennis Center on the U of L Campus. He coached Michael Mather to the NCAA quarterfinals and then a berth on the US National Team. He also led Austin Childs to the 2011 NCAA singles finalist. His teams qualified for numerous NCAA championships. Rex, a Louisville native and U of L Lettermen tells his story.

1 of 3