Vicky Maes

Vicky Maes enters her 17th year as the head women's tennis coach of the Arizona Wildcats and is one of the greatest players in Arizona women's tennis history,

Maes has been at the University since 1994. She first got her start as a student-athlete, then continued on as a coordinator for the model Life Skills Program and has been the head coach of the women's tennis team since October 2001. Aside from her duties at Arizona, Maes also currently serves as the Southwest Regional Chair for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

While transitioning from playing to coaching can be challenging for some, Maes feels her experience as a player helps her be a better coach.

A native of Belgium, Maes has achieved many coaching successes at Arizona in her twelve seasons at the helm of the program. The Wildcats have recorded a remarkable record against teams that are continuously ranked among the top in the nation.

Consequently, Maes has led the Wildcats to team and/or individual postseason competition each year, won the 2003 Ojai Pac-10 title, and produced several first team All-American and All-Pac-12 singles and doubles players along the way. Maes has built a reputation for developing her players and continues to recruit young women who are eager to get better on and off the court.

In addition to on-court dedication, Maes also expects a strong academic commitment from each member on the team. As a result, the Wildcats are just as triumphant in the classroom as on the court. The team currently holds a 100 percent graduation rate and, every year, members of the squad are recognized for scholastic achievements, earning several post-graduate scholarships and all-academic awards.

As a tennis player for The University of Arizona, Maes was the squad's No. 1 singles and doubles player throughout her entire career. She was named the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1996, as well as being tabbed a four-time first team All-Pac-10 selection.

Maes was named to the Pac-10 All-Decade team in 1998, was the 1996 Arizona Women's Sports Foundation College Athlete of the Year, a four-time All-American (1995-98) and the nation's top-ranked player in 1996 and 1997.

Maes, who is fluent in Dutch, English and French, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a Major in Marketing and a Minor in International Business Studies.

She was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection and a GTE Academic All-America choice in 1996. In 1998, Maes was a finalist for the NCAA's Great Eight award and won the Ruby Award, which recognizes UA's top female student-athlete in the field of athletics, academics and personal development.

For her efforts, Maes was inducted in the University of Arizona's Hall of Fame in the fall of 2003.