Before Title IX, Longhorn women’s sports built a strong foundation with club and intramural competition. I hope, with time, the TLSN website can add more historical insight and tell the full and compelling story of how UT women enhanced the Longhorn brand.



Coach Jeff Moore-  1982-2005

Jeff Moore is acknowledged as a prolific innovator, popular speaker, and expert clinician. As his record shows, Jeff was an outstanding tennis coach for the Lady Longhorns! His squad was always comprised of true scholar-athletes. Jeff is truly a classy guy who knows how to succeed. Further, he is always available to help others achieve their goals or missions! ???????????????????????????????? Jim Deitrick

In 1983 Coach Moore was the Longhorns fourth women’s tennis coach in Seven years. Not a good testimonial reflecting the continuity of women’s tennis program at U.T.

Coach Moore’s journey to greatness took time. Most Epiphany’s occur in a flash, but for Coach Moore, his was a slow-motion process requiring trial and error searching for the right recruiting combination to build a successful Tennis program. For six years, Coach Moore’s learning curve looked more like the stock market chart during the Wuhan virus pandemic.

Part of coaching is an art form that is cultivated over time. Laszlo Bock said, “that human beings (and institutions) are complicated thorny messy things, but those unquantifiable qualities are also what makes magic happen.” In 1988 Jeff managed to quantify the unquantifiable and was able to turn the tennis program around not with voodoo magic or allusions but with the consummate skills of a Tennis Picasso. Coach Moore learned to connect isolated elements of the tennis team dynamics and create a big picture of success. 

The Epiphany

Jeff says in his book Strive Together, “I learned that knowing what you don’t know is what fuels personal growth and development .” Coach Moore says, “success in sports requires a player to commit to self, team, and coach.” While Jeff’s formula sounds easy, it is not. Coaching that focuses’ on self, team, and coach – requires nuance coaching, attention to detail, and making hard choices. Coach Moore learned how to draw the competitive spirit out of each of his players. Coach Moore used the art of psychology to maximize team performance in an individual sport.  

• Coach Moore says, Developing a competitive relationship to self involves understanding that you’re going to have to compete with yourself if you want to improve. 

• As for the team -players must move out of their comfort zone and compete against each other for the good of the organization.  

• As for the relationship to Coach Jeff says, “it is important that the coach be respected. Coach’s don’t need to be liked by the players, but they do need to be respected.”

 Jeff makes the point that true leaders must have an inner drive to reach beyond one’s grasp and to adapt and reinvent themselves when the situation calls for it.  

By 1988 his formula for success moved Texas from an above-average regional tennis team to elite national status. Honors to him, his players, and UT reached a well-deserved crescendo.  

The Honors

Coaching

1. No. 2 in Division I women’s tennis all-time victories (594)

2. 1999 tri-Big 12 Coach of the Year

3. 1997 Co-Big 12 Coach of the Year

4. 1993 National Coach of the Year

5. Six-time Southwest Region Coach of the Year

6. Eight-time Southwest Conference Coach of the Year

   Team

7. 1993 & 1995 NCAA National Champions

8. NCAA National Champion runner-up (1992, 2005)

9. 10 top-5 NCAA finishes (1984, 1990, 1992-98, 2005)

10. Seven-time Big 12 Conference regular-season champions
    (1997, ’98, ’99, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 [*co-champions])

11. Seven-time Big 12 Conference Tournament Champions
    (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005)

12. Won 11 of 14 Southwest Conference regular season championships

13. Won nine consecutive SWC Tournament titles (1988-95)

    Student-Athlete Accomplishments
    

14. 19 All-Americans

15. 10 Academic All-America honors

16. 13 have gone on to professional tennis careers

17. 13 Conference Players of the Year awards

18. 44 Academic All-Conference honorees

19. 13 First Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference honorees

20. Eight Academic All-Southwest Conference honorees

No Texas Tennis Coach has ever been selected as Conference Coach of the year as many times as Coach Moore ( 1984, 1986 1988,1991, 1992,1994, 1996, and 1998)

Sports psychology podcast, mental game of sports expert, Dr. Patrick Cohn, interviews coach Jeff Moore. 

Jeff Moore and Dr. Cohn talked about the mental dynamic of practice, emotional toughness, and how to design practice for physical, mental, and emotional stress. This way athletes create a positive transfer from practice to competition.

Listen to this month’s sports psychology podcast to learn how to improve your performance in sports and other mental game barriers that limit your performance.

To learn more about Coach Moore visit http://mooreleadership.com/home.

1982- 1983 29-7 ranked 5th Coach Jeff Moore- SWC champions

Team finished 8-0 in SWC and 28-6 overall.  Kathleen Cummings compiles a 28-1 record in singles and is ranked 9th nationally.  Beverly Bowes record was 21-4 .  SWC champion. Moore was Coach of the Year in the SWC.  Texas beat powerhouses Florida, Indiana, and San Diego State for the first time ever.

Sweet Dreams are made of this is the top of the charts in Coach Moore’s first year as Head Coach of the Longhorn women’s tennis team.

Jeff Moore believed in discipline, commitment, and conditioning.  Team compiled a 64-8 record in conference action this year and a 21-9 record in dual matches. The Horns were undefeated In SWC play.  Ellis was the #1 Longhorn player with Greiwe a close second at 7-1 during the SWC competition. Stewart was 3rd and Johnasen 4th but both were undefeated in conference play.  McKeen received the SWC scholar-athlete award. 

Mary Jo Giammalva comes from a tennis rich family that has spawned great tennis players Sammy and Tony Giammalva.

 During Coach Moore’s first 6 years as the Longhorn women’s tennis coach, the teams were good to excellent on a regional basis but were never considered one of the elite national teams. Coach Moore even conceded in his book, Strive Together that the Longhorn women’s Tennis program was not improving under his watch.      

The 1983 team holds the record for most wins in a season (29) 

Horns Lose to California in First round of the NCAA tournament

1983-1984- 24-3 ranked 9th Coach Jeff Moore

Jeff Moore recruited two world-ranked tennis players and Robyn Field, from south Africa. 

Construction of a new Tennis facility begins. This was the highest-ranked Longhorn team to start the season. Beverly Bowes is the number 1 tennis player and wins the ITCA Indoor Singles Champion.

Walk-on Cathy Flaig and Kristen Guszak make the tennis team.

This was Texas’ 4th time to qualify for the national collegiate tennis tournament.  7 of the 15 top tennis colleges visited Texas this year.

Becky Callan is a Doubles ITA All American and is all Conference in Doubles in 1984 and 1985.

Robyn Field is All Conference in singles in 1984 and doubles in 1986.

 Kathleen Cummings is a singles ITA All American in 1984, and a member of the 80’s All Decade team. She is All Conference in Singles in 1983.

Horns Lose to San Diego State  in the NCAA quarterfinals

1984-1985- 11-12 ranked 9th Coach Jeff Moore

Diana Dopson is a Doubles ITA All American and a Singles ITA All American. She is All Conference in doubles in 1985.

Texas loses to Oklahoma State in first round of NCAA tournament.

1985- 1986-18-8 Ranked 12th- Coach Jeff Moore

 Anne Grousbeck- singles ITA All American 1986, 1987, 1988 and All Conference in 1987 in singles. 

Lanae Renschler is All Conference in doubles in 1986.

 Horns Lose to California  in first round.

1986-1987-16-11 ranked 18th nationally -Coach Jeff Moore

Top of the Charts 1987- Walk like an Egyptian

 Beverly Bowes is a singles All American in 1984, 1985, 1987 and a All-American in doubles in 1984.  Beverly is also Conference Player of the year in 1984 and 1986. She is a member of the 1980’s All Decade team.

Diane Merrett is All Conference in singles in 1987 and conference player of the year in 1988.

 Horns lose to Trinity in first round of the NCAA tournament.

1988-19-8 Ranked 9th Nationally Coach Jeff Moore

The horns win the SWC, but the team is injury plagued. Groesbeck and Merrett carry the team. Ann Grousbeck is the #1 ranked player on the Texas team.

Texas overcame injury and stiff competition to win the 5th SWC championship in 6 years. Diana Merrett led the orns with wins in the #2 single spot and with Stacie Otten in the #2 doubles spot. Michelle Carrier and Lanae Renschler captured the #3 doubles crown. It was Texas 6th time in the NCAA tournament but 17th-seeded Texas lost to Pepperdine.

Three time All-American Anne Grousbeck

1989- 26-5 Ranked 4th nationally Coach Jeff Moore

Bob Knight said, “The key is not the will to win everyone has that it is the will to prepare to win that is important.”

Jeff Moore took this message to heart, and good things start to happen for Texas women’s tennis.

Women were undefeated in regular season play, winning the SWC championship and ranked 13th nationally but lost to Georgia in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Diana Merrett, Texas’s #1 player, and Carla Cossa both won 30 matches this year.

Susan is also an ITA All-American and National singles and doubles winner from 1990- 1993 and holds the Texas seasonal record for doubles wins. (38-9) and Texas career record in doubles of (122-24).

1990-23-5 3rd at Nationals Coach Jeff Moore

Women’s Tennis continues to dominate the SWC. The women-only lose one SWC match from 1982 -1990.

Women – From 1982 to 1990, the women’s tennis team only lost in 1986. In 1990, the Horns were 8-0 in SWC play. It was their third straight SWC title. They were ranked 7th in the nation. Susan Gilchrist was one of the top recruits in the country, ranked #12. She was SWC Player of the Year. Joanna Plautz made the All-SWC team in doubles. The team made the NCAA semi-finals, losing to Stanford.

During this year, the Horns are ranked 7th nationally. Susan Gilchrist is ranked 12th in the nation, is SWC player of the year, and is the regular-season champion. In the NCAA tournament, the Longhorns beat Duke, California, but lost to Stanford in the semi-finals. Texas is the lowest-seeded team to ever advance to the final four.

Carla Cossa ITA singles All American 1990. All Conference in singles 1988-1990.

Joanna Plautz ITA doubles All-American in 1990 and 1991. All Conference in singles and doubles in 1988 and doubles in 1989 and 1990.

1992 25-4 record Coach Jeff Moore – Horns make the NCAA semi-finals

From 1982-1992, Coach Moore’s teams compiled a dual record of 228-74 and produced 19 All-Americans, including Susan Gilchrist and Vickie Paynter.  His teams produced 24 All-SWCC champions in 300 career victories.   It still hurts, but Texas set a school record with 25 wins and one loss this year. Unfortunately, the one loss was to Stanford in the semifinal round.

After high school, Vickie Paynter has a respectable national ranking but is not high enough to attract scholarship offers from the top schools. Coach Moore disagrees with this implicit rejection of her talents and offers her a scholarship because he likes the “fire in her belly.”

Coach Moore says, “Susan is aggressive to the net, approaching the game like a skilled surgeon.” Her lefty serves are precise, and she can hit volleys with an exquisite touch.  

Susan Gilchrist, Vickie Paynter, and Carla Cossa are the nucleus of this super team. Elite tennis schools passed over all three, and each was driven by the internal and external motivation to prove the “elites” wrong.

Vickie was the first to get revenge, beating the #2 Stanford seed in the NCAA tournament.  

The Horns upset Stanford to advance to the NCAA finals. Texas broke Stanford’s 53-match home win streak and a string of five consecutive national titles. The victory was heralded as one of the biggest upsets in college sports that year.  

Two-time All-American Carla Cossa and four-time All-American Susan Gilchrist were the cornerstones for an excellent year for the Lady Longhorn tennis team. First-year students Kelly Pace, Ashley Johnson, and Jennifer Nasser are a great help to this year’s team.

The doubles team of Gilchrist and Paynter is ranked first in the nation. Coach Moore says that they are the best doubles team in the history of UT women’s tennis.

Horns shock defending national champion Stanford in the Semi-Finals beating them 5-3. The Horns lose in the finals to Florida 3-5 and the Horns double team loses to UCLA.

 Vickie Paynter ITA All American singles and doubles 1992, ’93 

 This team holds the record for most All Conference players (8) 

1992- 1993-25-1 Ranked #1 Coach Jeff Moore

1992-1993- 13 years as the tennis coach for Texas Coach Moore Texas winning percentage is .775. Texas wins the national championship this year .  Team finishes 21-4  with a 10-0 mark in SWC play. It is Texas 11th straight NCAA bid.  All 4 losses were against top 10 teams.  Susan Gilchrist is ranked 7th , Kelly Pace #10, and Jackie Moe is #35 nationally.  Jeff Moore receives the ITA Wilson/Coach of the Year award  for the Southwest region. Susan Gilchrist, Kelly Pace , and Vickie Paynter all receive regional and/or national honors.  All three are among the five finalists for the national award in their respective categories.  Coach Morre is Coach of the Year.   Susan Gilchrist receives a post-graduate scholarship.  Vickie Paynter is the Southwest regional winner of the Tennis Magazine/Arthur Ashe Collegiate Award .

This team became the lowest seeded team to win the NCAA championship in the history of college tennis.

 Best season ever in women’s tennis at UT

This team holds the Texas season record for winning percentage (.961)

National Champions

With four All-Americans, the 1993 Longhorns win their first-ever NCAA Championship in women’s tennis. Susan Gilchrist leads the Longhorns with a 31-9 singles record, and Kelly Pace and Jackie Moe reach the 30-win plateau. Vickie Paynter is a four-time All-American. All four players finished the season ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Top 50 in singles. In doubles, Gilchrist and Paynter finish as the ITA top-ranked squad in the country.

Vickie Paynter is a ITA All American in  singles and doubles in 1994 and 1995 . Vickie is All Conference in singles in 1992 and 1993. She Holds The Career Winning Percentage For Doubles (.866)

 Jill Craybas is All Conference in singles in 1993.

1993-1994- 26-3  finishes 3rd at Ncaa- Coach Jeff Moore

 Lucie Ludvigova is a ITA singles All American in 1994 and 1995, Conference Player of the year in 1993, and All Conference in singles and doubles in 1993 and singles in 1994.

HOH inductee in 2016

Jackie Moe is a ITA All American in singles 1993 and doubles 1994 and All Conference in singles and doubles in 1993 and 1994.

The 1994  team sets the season record for Most All Americans (6)

1994- 1995- 22-6 National Champions Coach Jeff Moore

Coach Moore said in his book Striving Together “when Texas played Florida in tennis for the national championship, Texas had to sweep both doubles to win. No team had ever pulled that off in the history of the NCAA championship finals.”

One of his players on the Texas doubles team was Farley Taylor, an under the radar recruit from Montana. She had not played in as many tournaments as most of her peers, but she was a superbly gifted athlete who learned to compete as a Little League pitcher.

Her teammates tagged her with the nickname, Bambi. Her backhand was anemic, but that often didn’t matter because her forehand and serve were explosive. True to her roots as a baseball pitcher, she hit fastballs on the tennis court with precision accuracy that kept the opponent on defense. The path to the national championship was through Farley and her doubles partner Anne Pastor.

It was unlike Coach Moore to micromanage during tournament play. Until the Florida matchup, Coach Moore believed that knowing how to win matches was a function of practice. The national championship was at stake, and micromanaging was the theme of the day. Coach Moore morphed into both the drill Sargent and cheerleader for Farley and Anne. Coaching them on virtually every point by calling serves, returns, and poaches as a catcher calls pitches.

Kelly Pace wins 152 single matches for a .863 winning percentage, and  is a ITA All American in singles 1993, ’94, ’95 and in doubles in 1994, ’95. She is Conference Player of the year in 1994.

Kelly Pace holds the Texas record for most single career wins (152-24) 

Kelly Pace Wilson Induction video starts at 1:07.

Melody Falco is All Conference in doubles in 1995.

1995 -1996- 24-6 Ranked 3rd nationally and SWC champions Coach Jeff Moore

1995-1996  – Farley Taylor is SWC player of the year.  Coach Moore says “Losers think winning is possible, but it may be too difficult. Winners think winning may be difficult, but it is possible.”  Texas played 7 of the top 11 teams this season. .  Anne Pastor is diagnosed with Graves disease. Injuries hurt the team this season.

All American Kelly Pace is ranked #1 nationally.

All-American Lucie Ludigova in one year jumps from #24 to #1 nationally.

1996- 1997-23-6 ranked 3rd Coach Jeff Moore

Cristina Moros is Big 12 player of the year in 1996, All-Conference in singles in 1997, and doubles 1995,1996, and 1997. She is an ITA double All American  1995,’96,’98, and singles 1997

Horns qualify for the semifinals but lose to Florida

1997- 1998-21-7 Ranked 17th Coach Jeff Moore

Sandy Sureephong is a 4 time All American and two time Big 12 player of the year who participates in 3 Top 5 NCAA finishes. HOH inductee

Sandy Sureephong is Big 12 Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997.

Sandy Sureephong is an  ITA All American singles and doubles  in 1997 and 1998.

Kaysie Smashey is All Conference in doubles

1998-1999- 24-6 ranked 8th- Coach Moore won with creativity and new techniques.

 THE YEAR OF THE JOURNAL AND THE “EMOTIONAL EKG”  

Lucie Schmidhauser is the assistant coach.

The journal and emotional EKG  gauged the attitude and progress of the players over the season.    

Janet Walker and Laura Berendt lead the Horns to the teams 12th straight conference title. Sandy Sureephong  earned the #1 spot on the team.  The Longhorns extended their conference win streak to 107 matches. 

This was Jeff Moore’s 17 years  as the Texas Tennis Coach. 

Vladka Uhlirova is All Confernce in singles and doubles 1999-2001

Michelle Faucher is All Conference in singles 1996-1999.

Longhorns Qualify for 2nd round but lose to Miami

1999- 2000- 21-9 ranked 13th Coach Jeff Mooore

Hit em where they ain’t – baseball legend “Wee” Willie Keeler.

   Coach Moore works hard in building a “Court Presents” in tournament play.  Rebekah Forney says “We try to look the same whether we win a point or lose a point, therefore our opponent never knows what’s on our mond- we don’t want to give them any advantage.”

Faucher is a 4 time all-conference selection,  Uhlirova and Walker are  named All big 12 in doubles.

In February the women’s team hit the century mark in victories over Big 12 opponents in a row.   Moore said “ the difference between having a great team and having a great program is consistency”, and in order to be consistent , you have to have Hard working athletes in your program.”

Team q\Qualifies for Round of 16 then loses to UCLA

2000-2001- 23-6 ranked 10th Coach Moore Pending

The Horns were the #1 seed in the Big 12 championships with a #15 national ranking, and a #15 national ranking.   Moore’s record as of this championship tournament was 417-119 in 19 seasons.

Janet Walker spent most of the season with a strained rotator cuff. She is the only senior on the team.  During Walker’s years as a Longhorn, the record was 82-76 with a a 41-0 run against Big 12 foes.  Her .775 winning record in doubles is the 5th best in Horn’s history.

The Horns qualify for the Round of 16 then lose to Duke

2001-2002- 11-15 Ranked 33rd Coach Moore pending

The Horns advanced to the round of 16 before losing to Wake Fores.

Kendra Strohm is conference Freshman of the Year and is All Conference in singles in 2002 and doubles in 2003 and 2004.

 Ziva Grasic is All Conference in doubles 2001 and 2002.

2002-2003-23-6 Ranked 12th- Coach Jeff Moore

 21st consecutive appearance to the NCAA championships dating back to 1983.  1993 and 1995 national champions, runner up in 1992 and 3rd in 1990 and 1994. Kendra Storhm was the Big 12 conference freshman of the year.  Coach Moore was #2 nationally in wins by Division I coaches.

Katie Ruckert is All Conference in 2003 in singles and doubles in 2004.

The team loses in the first round to Tulane.

2003- 2004- 25-6 Ranked 3rd Coach Jeff Moore

Mia Marovic is All Conference in singles in 2004 and singles and doubles in 2004 and 2005. She wins the team MVP.

 She Qualifies for 2nd round, then loses to Arizona State.

2004- 2005-  25-6 Coach Jeff Moore – final 4

Courtney Zauft All Conference 2005 doubles and 2007 singles. 

Petra Dizdar is All Conference in singles 2003- 2005,  Freshman Conference player of the year, team academic MVP, and a recipient of a Post graduate scholarship.

Team Qualifies for the finals but loses to Stanford