Tennessee's Lady Vols tennis coach Alison Ojeda has clinched the 2024 National Wilson Intercollegiate Tennis Association Coach of the Year accolade. The award, announced on June 13th, lauds Ojeda for steering the Lady Vols through a record-breaking season and into the upper echelons of college tennis success. Under her leadership, the team tallied up an impressive 22 wins, the most in her eight-year tenure, and punched their ticket to the Final Four for the first time since 2002, as reported by WATE.
In a season to remember, Ojeda's squad not only secured one of the best performances in the program's history but also managed to knock out the top-seed, Oklahoma State, from the NCAA tournament. Following this major upset, the Lady Vols advanced to the Elite Eight and then on to the Final Four, as per details from WBIR. This achievement marks the second time in Lady Vol tennis history to reach such heights, with Ojeda becoming just the second coach in the program to be bestowed with this high honor.
Ojeda expressed her humility and gratitude for the recognition. "We have so many amazing coaches who do an outstanding job all over the country," Ojeda said, in a statement obtained by WBIR. "It is an honor to have been voted National Coach of the Year by my esteemed colleagues. I love the sport of tennis, I love coaching and I love Rocky Top." She highlighted how the achievement wasn't hers alone; it was a shared effort – a testament to the team and the coaches' hard work and dedication.
Ojeda's coaching prowess is further evidenced by her record of never failing to take her team to the NCAA tournament over her tenure at Tennessee, as reported by Adobe Express. The Lady Vols ledger under Ojeda includes 15 All-SEC or SEC All-Freshman honorees and four All-Americans, with a significant number of these accolades earned in the last three seasons alone. The coach's impact has been to undeniably raise the bar, setting new benchmark performances and ushering in back-to-back seasons with victories tallying 21 or more.
Danny White, Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics, recognized Ojeda’s contribution to the sport and the program. "Alison has been one of the elite coaches in the sport, and we are thrilled to see her recognized on a national level for the tremendous work she has done leading our women's tennis program," he told WBIR.com. This endorsement serves not only as a nod to Ojeda’s accolade but also as a firm attestation to her knack for cultivating a winning culture both on and off the court.
