College Commitment
Spring Signing Week '10: Top Californians Commit to UC Davis
by James Hill, 14 April 2010
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In January, the University of California-Davis women's tennis program checked in at No. 18 in Tennis Recruiting Network's rankings of the top recruiting classes.
UC Davis coach Bill Maze is especially pleased with his three recruits, all who hail from California. Joining the Aggies program in the fall are
Kelly Chui,
Nicole Koehly and
Megan Heneghan.
"We are very excited about our 2010 recruiting class," said Maze, in his 15th season at the Aggies' helm. "They are just the type of student-athletes we look for - smart, talented and competitive. Megan is an intense competitor with excellent ground strokes. Nicole has a lot of fire - with weapons off both wings. And Kelly is an extremely hard worker who is just as strong in doubles as she is in singles."
Maze certainly recognizes talent when he sees it. During his first eight seasons, the Aggies were members of NCAA Division II, and they advanced to the national quarterfinals five times. UC Davis went through a four-year transition period from Division II to Division I, from 2003-2007. Prior to his joining the UC Davis staff, Maze coached at the University of the Pacific for five years.
A graduate of Stanford, Maze was a three-time tennis All-American for the Cardinal, and played No. 1 doubles with John McEnroe. Maze was the 1972 USTA national 16-and-under champion, a title he won at Kalamazoo, Mich.
Those impressive credentials were not lost on Koehly, a five-star recruit from Santa Ana.
"I like all of the experience that coach Maze has as a tennis player and coach," Koehly said. "He was a national champion as a junior - and the again in college at Stanford. He seems calm and relaxed, and that is a great benefit to a tennis player in competition. UC Davis has a lot to offer - academically and athletically. I think all three of us really are fortunate to be able to join a great team like the Aggies - and play for a great school and coach."