University of Tennessee Athletics
2001-02 Women's Tennis Roster
Roster
Alison Ojeda
- Height:
- 5-1
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- San Antonio, Texas
- High School:
- Douglas MacArthur
THE OJEDA FILE
Personal Information
Full Name: Alison Gayle Ojeda
Born: Nov. 29, 1979
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
High School: Douglas MacArthur High School
College: Tennessee, 2002
Coaching Experience
- 2002-04:
Texas A&M, Assistant Coach - 2005:
Alabama, Assistant Coach - 2005-10:
Middle Tennessee, Head Coach - 2010-12:
Baylor, Assistant Coach - 2012-16:
Baylor, Associate Head Coach - June 2016-Nov. 20, 2016:
Tennessee, Assistant Coach - Nov. 21, 2016-present:
Tennessee, Head Coach
BAYLOR HIGHLIGHTS
- Had a record of 143-56, including four seasons with at least 25 wins
- Helped lead the Bears to seven Big 12 championships (4 regular season and 3 postseason)
- Went to the NCAA Championships during all six seasons at Baylor, reaching the semifinals once, the quarter finals twice and four trips to the round of 16
- Coached six All-Americans and nine All-Big 12 selections
- Two-time Texas region ITA Assistant Coach of the Year
MTSU HIGHLIGHTS
- Coached three All-Sun Belt selections
- Helped lead the Blue Raiders to their first winning season in six years in 2010 with an 11-10 record
- Led the team back to the national rankings in 2010, reaching No. 75 after a 5-0 start to the season
ALABAMA HIGHLIGHTS
- Helped coach Alabama to the NCAA Championships
- Finished the season ranked 38th nationally
TEXAS A&M HIGHLIGHTS
- Was named the 2004 Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year
- Made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the Sweet 16 in 2003
- Helped the Aggies finish the 2004 season ranked 16th in the nation
- Coached four All-Big 12 players and one All-American
PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Captured four tournament doubles titles
- Founded and directed the College Station Open, a 64-player open level tournament, during her time as an Aggie
TENNESSEE (PLAYER) HIGHLIGHTS
- Enjoyed an impressive playing career at UT, posting 102 singles and 105 doubles victories
- One of only three players in Tennessee history to post more than 100 victories in both singles and doubles
- Earned All-America honors in singles as a junior and was a four-time Academic All-SEC selection
- Voted the recipient of the ITA National Cissie B. Leary Award and the Southeast Region Arthur Ashe Jr. Award
- Was also a three-time SEC Sportsmanship Award winner
- Selected as a two-time All-SEC performer
- Helped captain UT's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Final Four during her senior year
- Made three appearances in the NCAA Singles Championships and two in the Doubles Championships
- Led Tennessee to its first Top 10 final ranking in 25 years during her junior season, finishing 6th nationally
HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
- Was a three-time all-state selection at Douglas MacArthur High School (Texas)
- Finished the season ranked 38th nationally
- Qualified for the Texas state tournament during her sophomore, junior and senior seasons, reaching the finals in during her final year
- Played in the Sugar Bowl Tournament and National Indoor Championships in 1996-97
The University of Tennessee announced Alison Ojeda as its seventh women's tennis head coach in program history on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016.
Former Tennessee All-American Ojeda rejoined the program as an assistant coach in June 2016. She was hired as head coach following the resignation of Mike Patrick.
"It's an absolute honor to be here," Ojeda said. "It's been my dream job since I played here (1998-2002). Mike has been an incredible mentor and role model for me as a person and a coach. I want to thank him for helping me get to this point today. I am really excited about maintaining his class and integrity in the program. I want to make sure we start focusing on winning some championships. We are in an extremely tough conference, and I am honored to be a part of the SEC. I want to bring in players who are ready to take it to the next level."
One of the most decorated players in program history, Ojeda is one of only four females ever to post more than 100 victories in both singles and doubles during their career on Rocky Top.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Ojeda spent the previous six years on staff at Baylor, holding the title of associate head coach the past four seasons. At 36-years-old, she already boasts 14 years of full-time Division I coaching experience, including five years as head coach at Middle Tennessee from 2005-10.
"I have been planning to be a head coach since I was a junior in college," Ojeda said. "I had a small injury and talked to Mike then. He knew I wanted to be a head coach at some point down the road. He was unbelievable. He gave the opportunity to coach some of our younger players on the court while I was healing. Every step I have taken from a coaching standpoint has been to help get me here."
Comprehensive excellence has accompanied Ojeda at every phase of her tennis career. As a senior in 2002, she captained Tennessee to its first NCAA semifinal appearance and a No. 6 finish in the year-end team rankings. As a coach, her teams have achieved three NCAA Round of 16 berths (2004, 2011, 2015), a pair of NCAA quarterfinal berths (2011, 2015) and one NCAA semifinal appearance (2011). Her teams also have won five regular-season conference championships and four conference tournament titles--all at the "power five" level. She has developed eight singles All-Americans and five All-American doubles teams.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association has recognized Ojeda's coaching prowess on multiple occasions, as she is a three-time ITA Regional Coach of the Year (2004, 2012, 2015).
In addition to Baylor and Middle Tennessee, Ojeda's other Division I coaching stops include tenures at Texas A&M (assistant coach, 2002-04) and Alabama (assistant coach, 2005). She also founded 254 Tennis Academy in Waco, Texas, in 2014 and has served as tournament director for multiple professional events.
"It's amazing to come back," Ojeda said. "I've loved Tennessee since I was a recruit back in 1998. The opportunity to come back and walk on this campus every day and live in big orange country is just amazing. In 1998, I was in Pat Summitt's locker room and a recruit asked her why she should come to Tennessee. Pat's eyes got huge and she said, `Why wouldn't you come to Tennessee? This is the greatest place in the country. The only reason you wouldn't want to come here is if you didn't want to be the best.' From that moment on, I have absolutely lived and breathed Tennessee. It's a fantastic honor to be back here."
Ojeda lettered at UT from 1998-2002 and remains a fixture on Tennessee's career wins lists. She is currently ranked eighth in singles (102) and doubles (105) victories. She ascended as high as No. 9 in the NCAA singles rankings and No. 4 in the NCAA doubles rankings. A banner bearing her likeness hangs alongside other UT greats inside Tennessee's Goodfriend Tennis Center.
While helping lead Tennessee to one of its most successful periods to date during her career, she also earned accolades playing in the top half of the lineup. She made three singles and two doubles appearances in the NCAA individual championships. She earned singles All-America honors in 2001 and was a two-time All-SEC recipient. As a senior in 2002, she was honored for her leadership in sportsmanship with both the ITA National Cissie B. Leary Award and the Southeast Region Arthur Ashe Jr. Award.
Her other off-the-court collegiate honors include three selections to the Academic All-SEC Team and three SEC Sportsmanship Awards.
As a player on the USTA professional circuit, she captured four tournament doubles titles (all with former UT All-American teammates Tammy Encina and Vilmarie Castellvi).
Ojeda--who was inducted into the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame in 2009--graduated from Tennessee in 2002 with a degree in Sport Management and minor in Business Administration.
She is Tennessee's sixth active full-time varsity coach who also competed collegiately at UT, joining rowing assistant coach Sarah Arms, swimming assistant coach Lance Asti, volleyball assistant coach Erica Lear, women's basketball head coach Holly Warlick and men's tennis associate head coach Chris Woodruff.
The spring season begins Jan. 14 at the Michigan Invite in Ann Arbor. The team opens team play Jan. 21 against Air Force and Middle Tennessee at Goodfriend Tennis Center.
