Kansas State University Athletics
Tennis (W) Tradition
3
3 ITA All-Americans
8
8 Singles Champions
11
11 Doubles Champions
42
42Â Selected to All-Conference Teams
LETTERWINNERS
K-State Women's Tennis has produced over 100 letterwinners in its history from all around the world. Mary Lou Kultgen, 1976-78, was the first letterwinner from K-State Tennis, and the tradition continues today.
COACHES
- Bev Yenzer, 1973
- Stephen Snodgrass, 1977-79 & 1981-83
- David Hacker, 1979-81
- Steve Webb, 1983-84
- Steve Bietau, 1985-2014
- Liz Ullathorne (interim), 2014
- Danielle Steinberg, 2014-18
- Jordan Smith, 2018-pres. (above)
The Kansas State women's tennis team will enter its 45th season of existence in 2021-22, as the squad played its first season in 1973 under coach Bev Yenzer, as the team achieved a 6-3 record that first year. The program was then on hiatus until the 1977 season and has played a fall and spring season every season since.
In the previous 44Â years, the Wildcats have made four team NCAA Tournament appearances, sent eight individuals to the NCAA Tournament and two doubles squads to the NCAA Tournament. The tennis team has also had eight singles champions, seven doubles champions, and three Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American players.
Jordan Smith was announced as the program's seventh head coach on July 2, 2018 after serving as assistant coach and associate head coach from 2015-18.
Awards and Achievements
Singles Champions:
- Helen Schildknecht (1990 Big Eight - No. 2 Singles)
- Michele Riniker (1992 Big Eight - No. 1 Singles)
- Kathy Chuda (2000 Big 12 - No. 5 Singles and 2001 Big 12 - No. 4 Singles)
- Eva Novotna (2001 Big 12 - No. 3 Singles)
- Alena Jecminkova (2002 Big 12 Player of the Year)
- Tamar Kvaratskhelia (2005 Big 12 - No. 2 Singles)
- Petra Niedermayerova (2011 Big 12 - No. 1 Singles)
Doubles Champions:
- Karina Kuregian and Martine Shrubsole (1995 Big Eight - No. 1 Doubles)
- Dinah Watson and Anna Pampoulova (1988 Big 12 - No. 3 Doubles)
- Alena Jecminkova and Eva Novotna (2001 Big 12 - No. 1 Doubles)
- Hayley McIver and Paulina Castillejos (2001 Big 12 - No. 3 Doubles)
- Alena Jecminkova and Andrea Cooper (2002 Big 12 - No. 1 Doubles)
- Paulina Castillejos and Maria Rosenberg (2004 Big 12 - No. 1 Doubles)
- Petra Niedermayerova and Karla Bonacic (2013 Big 12 - No. 1 Doubles)
ITA All-Americans:
- Karina Kuregian (Kansas State 1993-96)
1994 ITA All-American
1994 ITA Central Region Rookie of the Year
1995 Big Eight Conference No. 1 Doubles Champion (with Martine Shrubsole)
 - Yana Dorodnova (Kansas State 1995-98)
1998 ITA All-American
1997 and 1998 ITA All-American Scholar Athlete
An All-Big 12 Conference player in 1997 and 1998
 - Petra Niedermayerova (Kansas State 2010-2014)
2012 and 2013 ITA All-American
2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014 ITA All-American Scholar Athlete
2013 & 2014 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large First Team
2012, 2013 & 2014 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII At-Large First Team
A 4-time All-Big 12 Conference player in singles (2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014)
2-time All-Big 12 Conference player in doubles with Karla Bonacic (2012 & 2013)
2011 and 2013 ITA Player to Watch
2014 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2013 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2011 ITA Freshman of the Year
2011 Big 12 Player of the Year
2011 Big 12 Freshman of the Year
Big 12 Player of the Year
- 2002 Alena Jecminkova
- 2011 Petra Niedermayerova
Big 12 Freshman of the Year
- 2000 Petra Sedlmajerova
- 2011 Petra Niedermayerova
- 2018 Maria Linares
Big 12 Coach of the Year
- 2000 Steve Bietau
All-Conference Teams
- 1997 Singles Yana Dorodnova
- 1997 Doubles Yana Dorodnova/Lena Piliptchak
- 1998 Singles Yana Dorodnova
- 1998 Doubles Yana Dorodnova/Lena Piliptchak
- 1999 Singles Anna Pampoulova
- 2000 Singles Petra Sedlmajerova, Alena Jecminkova
- 2001 Singles Petra Sedlmajerova, Alena Jecminkova
- 2002 Singles Alena Jecminkova
- 2002 Doubles Alena Jecminkova/Ashley Cooper
- 2003 Singles Petra Sedlmajerova
- 2003 Doubles Petra Sedlmajerova/Paulina Castillejos
- 2004 Singles Maria Rosenberg
- 2004 Doubles Maria Rosenberb/Paulina Castillejos
- 2005 Singles Tamar Kvaratskhelia, Maria Rosenberg
- 2006 Singles Tamar Kvaratskhelia
- 2008 Singles Viviana Yrureta
- 2011 Singles Petra Niedermayerova
- 2012 Singles Petra Niedermayerova, Karla Bonacic
- 2012 Doubles Petra Niedermayerova/Karla Bonacic
- 2013 Singles Petra Niedermayerova, Karla Bonacic
- 2013 Doubles Petra Niedermayerova/Karla Bonacic
- 2014 Singles Petra Niedermayerova
- 2016 Freshman Millie Stretton
- 2018 Singles - Margot Decker (Second Team), Maria Linares (Second Team); Doubles - Carolina Costamagna/Margot Decker; All-Freshman Team - Margot Decker, Maria Linares
- 2019 Singles - Anna Turco (Second Team)
Big 12 Conference All-Time Standings
- 1997 Kansas State #10 (2-9)
- 1998 Kansas State t#6 (6-5)
- 1999 Kansas State #9 (3-8)
- 2000 Kansas State #5 (7-4)
- 2001 Kansas State #5 (7-4)
- 2002 Kansas State #6 (6-5)
- 2003 Kansas State t#5 (7-4)
- 2004 Kansas State #11 (1-10)
- 2005 Kansas State #10 (3-8)
- 2006 Kansas State #7 (6-5)
- 2007 Kansas State t#9 (3-8)
- 2008 Kansas State #10 (3-8)
- 2009 Kansas State #12 (1-10)
- 2010 Kansas State #8 (4-7)
- 2011 Kansas State #7 (6-5)
- 2012 Kansas State #6 (4-5)
- 2013 Kansas State #7 (3-6)
- 2014 Kansas State #7 (3-6)
- 2015 Kansas State #9 (1-8)
- 2016 Kansas State #9 (1-8)
- 2017 Kansas State #8 (2-7)
- 2018 Kansas State T-#5 (4-5)
- 2019 Kansas State T-#7 (2-7)
- 2020 Kansas State T-#6 (0-0)
- 2021 Kansas State #8 (2-7)
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NCAA Tournament: Team Appearances
- 1996 Central Region Semi-Finals (13-8 overall)
- 1998 Central Region First Round (11-12 overall)
- 2003 Sweet Sixteen (15-8 overall)
- 2018 Round of 32 (15-11 overall)
NCAA Tournament: Individual Appearances
- 1995 Karina Kuregian (Round of 64 - Malibu, Calif.)
- 1998 Yana Dorodnova (Quarterfinals - Notre Dame, Ind.)
- 2000 Alena Jecminkova (Round of 64 - Malibu, Calif.)
- 2001 Alena Jecminkova (Round of 64 - Stone Mountain, Ga.)
- 2002 Alena Jecminkova (Round of 32 - Palo Alto, Calif.)
- 2011 Petra Niedermayerova (Round of 64 - Palo Alto, Calif.)
- 2012 Petra Niedermayerova (Round of 16 - Athens, Ga.)
- 2013 Petra Niedermayerova (Round of 16 - Urbana, Ill.)
- 2014 Petra Niedermayerova (Round of 32 - Athens, Ga.)