Former Vanderbilt standout Aleke Tsoubanos enters her seventh season as an assistant coach for the women's tennis team. Tsoubanos has played an essential role in bringing in some of the nation's top recruiting classes since her arrival and has been a key to the team's successes in the SEC and NCAA, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2011.
"Aleke has had a real impact on our program," Vanderbilt head coach Geoff Macdonald said. "She has a great tennis eye and strong work ethic and relationship with our players. She is great working with people and knows all phases to the game which makes her an exceptional, bright young coach."
The addition of Tsoubanos led to instant success for the Commodores in 2008. Tsoubanos' coaching style led the Dores to its 11th straight sweet-16 finish and top-10 national ranking.
The St. Louis, Mo., native enjoyed a very successful college career. She was named an ITA All-American from 2002-04, a first-team all-NCAA selection, a first-team All-SEC selection in both singles and doubles and is the only player to win the ITA All-American Riviera doubles championship two consecutive years with two different partners. Tsoubanos also excelled off the court, being named to the All-SEC academic team.
"By excelling in tennis at the highest level and at Vanderbilt, she brings a lot of tennis experience and enthusiasm to our program and campus," Macdonald said.
Tsoubanos still holds four school records. She partnered with Kelly Schmandt in 2004 to win 15 consecutive doubles matches. She holds the record for best doubles winning percentage in a career, winning 82% of her doubles matches between 2000 and 2004. She has the most career doubles victories with 119 and registered 32 doubles victories in a season with both Sarah Riske ('03) and Kelly Schmandt ('04).
The Commodores enjoyed some of their most successful years while Tsoubanos was a member of the team. Vanderbilt made the NCAA title match in Tsoubanos' freshman season, falling to Stanford in the finals. VU also made the NCAA elite eight (2003) and final four (2004)during Tsoubanos' junior and
senior seasons, respectively.
"I feel privileged to be working with Coach Macdonald and a group of highly talented student-athletes,"
Tsoubanos said.
Tsoubanos enjoyed success in the professional ranks during her career. Her doubles ranking rose as high as 126, winning four doubles titles while on tour. She made the doubles semifinals or better 23 times while on the International Tennis Federation circuit.
In 2005-2006, the Vanderbilt assistant played two seasons of World Team Tennis for her hometown team, the St. Louis Aces. While playing for the Aces, she scored doubles wins over such players as Anna Kournikova and Meghann Shaughnessy.
