Tracy Mauntler, now entering her 21
st season as head coach, has built the University of Toledo women’s tennis program into one of the most respected and successful in the Mid-American Conference. She is the winningest head coach in Toledo women’s tennis program history with 244 victories heading into the 2023-24 season.
Mauntler has coached the Rockets to 13 winning seasons, with her most recent seasons being among her very best. The 2022-23 Rockets set many program record including most wins in a regular season with 20, went undefeated 10-0 on MAC play, went on a program-best 12-mathc winning streak, earned the program’s first outright MAC Championship title and No.1 seed in the conference tournament, and made its second-straight appearance in the MAC Championships finals. The Rockets made their appearance again on the ITA Division I Women's Collegiate Tennis Rankings and remained among the top-75 programs for nine consecutive weeks, the highest rankings at No.58 on March 14. Mauntler was named MAC Coach of the Year for the first time in her career, Cassie Alcala was named MAC Co-Player of the year for a second-straight season, three Rockets earned All-MAC honors, and two were named to the MAC All-Tournament Team.
Last year the Rockets went 18-7 in dual matches and advanced to the finals of the Mid-American Conference for the first time in program history. In 2020-21, Toledo was 15-7 with a program-best MAC record of 11-3.
Mauntler’s teams have advanced to the semifinals of the MAC Championship Tournament nine times. The 2021-22 and 2022-23 squads both came close to winning the school’s first MAC championship, falling to Ball State in both title matches.
Toledo’s success was recognized when it received its first-ever team and individual player ITA Collegiate Tennis Division I Regional rankings at the end of the 2021-22 season. The Rockets finished the season ranked No. 8 In the Midwest Regional, while Cassie Alcala was ranked the No. 12 singles player in the region. Another first was a No.75 ITA Division I national ranking prior to the start conference competition.
Over the years, Mauntler’s players have earned All-MAC honors 18 times, nine on the First-Team and 11 on Second-Team. Cassie Alcala became the first player under Mauntler’s guidance to earn MAC Player of the Year honors (2022, 2023) and just the second receive MAC Freshman of the Year accolades (2021), the other being Martina Wodzinski in 2006-07. In October of 2021, Alcala and Sloane Teske became the first Rockets to defeat a No.1 seeded doubles team in an ITA Regional event and advance to the ITA Super Regionals under the current ITA Regionals format.
Success On The Court
Mauntler’s 2022-23 was arguably the best of her career. The Rockets fell in the MAC title match but recorded many program firsts. The Rockets compiled a program-best 20-4 dual-match record with a undefeated 10-0 MAC record. After falling to USF, the Rockets defeated No.70 ranked FGCU and went on to win 12-straight matches from March 8-April 30. Included in that streak was 5-2 win over reigning champions Ball State. The Rockets entered the outright MAC Championship title and the MAC Tournament as the No. 1 seed, both a first for the program. UT knocked off fourth-seeded Miami in the semifinals before falling to No. 2 seed Ball State in the championship match, 4-1. Alcala was named MAC Co-Player of the Year and First-team All-MAC along with Sloane Teske. Shalini Tallamraju earned second-team honors and was named to the MAC All-Tournament Team with Mariona Perez.
The 2021-22 squad came within a point of winning the MAC title and racking up many program firsts. The Rockets compiled a 18-7 dual-match record with a 7-3 mark in MAC competition. After a season-opening loss to Florida Gulf Coast, the Rockets went on to win seven straight matches from Jan. 15-Feb. 18. Included in that streak was 4-3 over West Virginia, Toledo’s first win ever over a Big 12 school. The Rockets entered the MAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed, knocking off second-seeded Miami in the semifinals before falling to No. 1 seed Ball State in the championship match, 4-3. Alcala was named MAC Player of the Year and first team All-MAC along with Teske. Teske and Shalini Tallamraju were named to the MAC All-Tournament Team.
The 2020-21 Toledo squad compiled a 15-7 record with an 11-3 mark in MAC action. The season finale match came against reigning MAC Champions Ball State, where the Rockets pulled a 4-3 upset victory, extending the program’s longest winning streak to nine matches. Mauntler’s team capped the season with a second-place finish in the MAC, the highest conference finish in program history. Alcala was named the MAC Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Rocket to earn the recognition since 2007. Acala was also named First Team All-MAC, becoming the first honoree from the Rocket program on the list since 2010, while Teske collected Second Team All-MAC accolades.
Building The Program
Mauntler took over as head coach of the Rockets in 2003 and built the program into a force in the Mid-American Conference. The 2005-06 squad set the then-school record for winning percentage, going 14-7 in dual matches. A year later, Toledo set the school record for wins, going 16-6 overall (7-3 MAC), en route to a third-place finish. Toledo advanced to the MAC Championship semifinals for the first time under Mauntler, defeating Eastern Michigan in the quarterfinals before falling to Buffalo a day later. Martina Wodzinski was named the Newcomer of the Year and Second-Team All-MAC, while Myriam Cueva garnered First-Team All-MAC accolades for the second time in her career.
The Rockets had another strong season in 2008-09, going 14-10 and making it to the semifinals match of the MAC Tournament. Maha Guirguis earned first-team All-MAC honors, while Wodzinski was named to the All-MAC Tournament team following the year. The Rockets followed that with winning records in 2009-10 (12-7) and 2010-11 (13-10). Wodzinski made first team All-MAC in 2010 and Guirguis earned second-team honors. Ashley Frey was selected to both the second-team All-MAC and Academic All-MAC teams in 2011.
The Rockets had winning seasons, going 14-7 in 2013-14 and 13-10 in 2014-15, and then put together a terrific run in 2017-18. Toledo tied the program record for most wins in a season with a 16-7 mark (5-3 MAC). The No. 3 seed in the tournament, Toledo reached the semifinal round for the first time since the 2008-09 season. Senior Sidnay Huck was selected to the All-MAC Tournament team and went undefeated throughout the tournament. Toledo had the conference’s only undefeated doubles team as senior Colleen O’Brien and sophomore Dee Dee Leenabanchong went 16-0. Leenabanchong earned second-team All-MAC honors and O’Brien became the first Rocket since Emily Mazzola in 2013 to be awarded the MAC’s Leann Grimes Davidge Sportsmanship Award.
Academics
Not only have Mauntler’s teams done well on the courts, but they have excelled in the classroom too. Every year since 2008, Mauntler’s teams have posted has posted at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Their highest team GPA was a 3.825 in the 2022 fall semester. Mauntler has had 36 student-athletes named to the Academic All-MAC team, including all eight players on the roster in 2021-22. The Rockets had four players – Cassie Alcala, Julia Kuszynski, Mariona Perez, and Shalini Tallamraju – earn CSC Academic All-District honors for their athletic and academic performance in the 2022-23 season.
The Rockets have been honored by the NCAA for ranking in the top 10 percent of women’s tennis programs in the Academic Progress Rate (APR) on six occasions. The Rockets have ranked in the top three of the MAC in each of the last six years, highlighted by perfect APR scores of 1,000 in 2004-05, 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2022-23; a 993 mark in 2015-16; and a 992 mark in 2020-21.
Mauntler’s Tennis Background/Family
A native of Clearfield, Pa., Mauntler has been involved with tennis at many different levels for nearly her entire life. A four-year tennis standout at Bucknell University. Mauntler served as team captain during the 1999-2000 season, receiving the Coaches Award in 1999 and the Leadership Award in 2000. She helped lead the Bisons to the conference finals in her sophomore and junior years.
Mauntler graduated in May 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in education with a concentration in counseling. She returned to her alma mater in August 2000 to complete her teaching certification and served as assistant women’s tennis coach for the 2000-01 season. She later received her master’s degree in recreation and leisure studies from the University of Toledo in 2012.
Mauntler, a USPTA certified professional since 1999, began her head coaching career the varsity tennis coach for the boys’ and girls’ high school tennis teams in Harford, Md., where she spent two years as a sixth-grade social studies teacher in the Harford County public school district.
Mauntler, formerly Tracy Honko, married former Toledo men’s golf coach Jamie Mauntler in January of 2007. They reside in Toledo with their three sons Jace, Trey, and Brooks.
