Following the completion of the 2014 spring season, Yulia Smirnova was promoted to head coach of the IUPUI women's tennis team after serving in the interim capacity for most of the spring.
"In a very short time Yulia has demonstrated the ability to be a positive influence and confident leader for the women's tennis program," IUPUI Director of Athletics Mike Moore said. "I have no doubt that she will return the program to its place as an annual contender for Summit League championships."
This past spring, Smirnova led the Jaguars to three wins and helped IUPUI finish with a 1-5 Summit League record. Despite the five conference losses the Jags lost three of those were by just one point.
Collegiately, Smirnova was a four-year letterwinner for Binghamton University from 2008-11, where she set a school record for career singles wins (89) and career doubles wins (84). As a sophomore, Smirnova was named MVP, and she was an All-Conference first-team performer in singles in 2008 and 2009, and a second-team honoree in 2010, 2011. Smirnova was a first-team all-league performer in doubles all four years.
A native of Moscow, Russia, Smirnova trained as a junior at the School of Olympic Reserve, Tarpishchev's School, and won the European U16 Championship in 2005. Smirnova has competed at both the ITF and ETA level, reaching a career high ranking of 60th in the ETA rankings in 2005.
Following her four years at Binghamton, where she graduated with a degree in economics, Smirnova worked at the Indianapolis Racquet Club prior to joining the IUPUI staff.
