Unlike Texas Basketball, Football, Track And Baseball there are very few books that discuss Longhorn tennis.  I hope with time this site can add some historical insight and tell the full and compelling story of the Texas tennis tradition. 

1976 is the first year of NCAA sanctioned tennis at Texas

• Tennis record thru 2015 is 717 victories and 264 defeats

• 31 NCAA appearances

• 2 National Championships (1993 and 1995) Under Coach Moore

• 1 runner up for National Championship team (1992)

• 3 semi-final appearances in 1990, 1994, 1997

• 18 conference championships

• 21 Longhorns have received ITA All American status

For information on Longhorn Women’s tennis prior to 1973  Please click on  the  search Engine and type in “1896”

1971- 1976 Betty Hagerman coached the Racquetball club  

JO ANN KURZ 5/03/2022 – 1973-1976

Jo Ann Kurz says about her tennis coach, “Betty Sue was an excellent coach. She helped me learn doubles and that helped my singles game. She was very patient as I developed more in my junior and senior years….”

“Significantly, I saw the change in women’s tennis with Title IX. I got a tuition waiver my first two years, then more assistance my 3rd and 4th perhaps a partial scholarship.”

We went from riding in Betty Sue’s Volkswagen bus to Arizona to flying to the Braniff Mixed Championships in Michigan, all because of more funding. We taught lessons for the Austin Tennis Foundation to bring money in for our team before we had enough funding to fly to team events.

Thank you for hearing pieces of my past at UT. It was a lot of work for us and it is nice to know that the women following us have had a smoother path.”

Jo Ann Kurz says “Betty Sue was an excellent coach. She helped me learn doubles and that helped my singles game. She was very patient as I developed more in my junior and senior years, after playing juniors in Texas, moving to Ohio during my high school years, and then returning to Texas for college.”

“Significantly, I saw the change in women’s tennis with Title IX. I got a tuition waiver my first two years, then more assistance my 3rd and 4th perhaps a partial scholarship.”

We went from riding in Betty Sue’s Volkswagen bus to Arizona to flying to the Braniff Mixed Championships in Michigan, all because of more funding. We taught lessons for the Austin Tennis Foundation to bring money in for our team before we had enough funding to fly to team events.

Thank you for hearing pieces of my past at UT. It was a lot of work for us and it is nice to know that the women following us have had a smoother path.”

Betty Sue Hagerman Welch was ranked No. 1 in Texas in women’s and mixed doubles in both the open and 35 and over divisions. She was also ranked No. 1 in Women’s 35 singles. Welch’s coaching accolades include starting the Division 1-A women’s tennis team at the University of Texas. Her many awards as educator and coach include being named 1993 USPTA National High School Tennis Coach of the Year.

1974 Betty Hagerman

National Texas Team finished 38th out of 50 teams

On November 21, 1973, a letter in support of developing women’s tennis made the rounds with the UT Athletic Department.  The author says “Some 100 or more men are provided with various athletic scholarships ……. special meals and a special dormitory….. Men’s sports are provided with a coaching staff, sports equipment, and travel allowances.  Most women do not seek a point by point comparison with the men’s sports programs; they simply want a first-class program for women’s tennis……”   

Texas sent two women to the TAIAW tennis tournament.

1973-1974- Coach Hagerman 13-4 record

In 1974, the team finished 5th in the Nation
 This year, Texas sent five women to the TAIAW tournament. It was the most to qualify of any Texas University.  Wilkins is the Horn’s #1 player.
Horn’s record was 13-4 in dual match play. Susie Smith asked for a scholarship to play at Texas, but the women’s athletic program was not yet large enough to offer aid to women. Nerissa Riley transferred to Texas.

1974-1975 –  Coach Hagerman was authorized to offer 4 partial scholarships.  Blackwood and Wilkins received two of the partial scholarships.

1975-1976 – Coach Betty Hagerman

This year the Horns finished 7th out of 43 Teams in tennis

Amy Wilkins is the #1 player at Texas this year.

1976-1977   Record 2-2  Coach Cathy Beene 6th ranked

The team has an excellent record of 13-3 in match play and they finished 2nd in state.

1977- 1978   Record 16-9 Coach Cathy Beene

In March of 1978, the Horns were ranked 6th in the nation.

Susie Smith is an All-American.   Riley and Smith won the 21-year-old and under doubles championship for the state.   The team also has a 2nd place finish in the Arizona Invitational Tennis tournament and the Lamar University Invitational.

In November 1978, Coach Beene resigned, Beene said, “I made a mistake. I appreciate the support of the department in believing that what occurred was a first-time occasion and their effort to preserve my professional reputation. “ A.D. Lopiano placed her on probation, but the media carnival around the incident forced UT to ask Beene to resign.

1978- 1979   Record 14-8 Interim coach dick King pending

5 freshmen are part of the 7 best tennis players at Texas.  Freshman Merrilee Keller is the top seed.

1979-1980   Record 19-8 Coach Dave Woods- Horns finish 20th in the nation

Coach Woods is a prodigy of Dave Snyder.

Shelley Hudson is the team captain and leads the team to 2nd place in the TAIAW state tournament. Losing only to Trinity but beating all SWC opponents. 

1981    Record 19-8 Coach Dave Woods

1980-1981- The team won the SWC and went undefeated in 10 dual matches. This team was comprised two first-year students, two sophomores, and two juniors. In the Spring, Coach Woods said, “We played well…just not well enough.”

Beth Ruman suffered a stress fracture the day before the national tennis meet, forcing all the players to move up one position.

1981  – Jane Johnson was a two-time All-American for Texas. She and Kristen McKeen finished 3rd in doubles at the AIAW national tournament.

In the Fall season, she was #1 in singles and #1 on the doubles team on the Texas team. .  Kirsten McKeen AIAW won the consolation title in the AIAW.

The team finished 4th in the AIAW postseason competition.  

After the women’s team won the prestigious LSU Invitational, there was no mention in the Austin American Statesman. Many fans were incensed and started a campaign for better local newspaper coverage of Longhorn tennis.

Final Team rankings in the 1981 Spring season had Texas at #8.

1982 – 22-10 ranked 9th Coach Dave Woods

Qualified for AIAW National Championship tournament and beat Alabama and Arkansas but lost to Indiana and Rollins.

TOP SONG 1981

Horns finished 7th in the national tournament,

Dave Wood resigns, stating he is burned out on coaching. The players said the team had a lot of friction and internal differences.

1983 – 22-10 ranked 9th Coach Jeff Moore – SWC Champions

Tennis  team  wins the state title and places second in regionals.  The team is led by Vicki Ellis Gen Greiwe, and Jane Johansen

Jane Johnson ITA singles All American. 

1982-1983 national finish 16th. Gen Greiwe won the #2 flight for Texas. Ellis was the team MVP.   This year represents the most wins ever by a Texas tennis team. Texas was undefeated in SWC tournament play. Moore was Coach of the Year in the SWC. At 4th nationally this was Texa’s best ranking.