San Francisco, CA -- The Urban Knights tennis team is heading into 2012 with a new coach who is eager to get on the court and show the PacWest that the Academy of Art is ready to hit the ground running. First-year head coach Jerry Peach brings a wealth of experience to the Urban Knights, and ART U will also be adding a bevy of recruits to improve upon a solid 12-5 campaign which saw them end the year in fourth place in the PacWest Conference.

"We have been going to practice on a regular basis, with school starting," Coach Peach said. "Our team has been doing better in our need to do what is essential to the development of the purpose of playing the competiton. The learning curve to put all things together outside the coaching is time consuming, but I'm getting to know the players and they're getting to know me."

A coach with extensive experience in NCAA Division I and II tennis, Peach comes to ART U well equipped for the job. Peach previously spent 13 years as the head coach for men's and women's tennis at Montana State University – Billings, helping lead the women's team to 92 wins and the men's team to 58 wins. Prior to joining MSUB in January of 1997, Peach spent 23 years coaching both squads at Montana State University in Bozeman. As a coach, Peach has earned numerous honors which include ITA/USTA National and Regional Coach of the Year, Big Sky Conference (BSC) and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Coach of the Year, and a USTA National Top Ten Award.

The Knights are also introducing four new players to the team, three of which will be competing this year, and return six players from their 2011 campaign. Kinga Kurczbuch (Lublin, Poland), Jenny Johansson (Almhult, Sweden), and Daniela Amelunge (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) all bring international experience to the Knights, and Sarah Lemp will contribute that essential Bay Area flavor that is so important to all of ART U athletics, hailing from Castro Valley, CA. Transfer Sofia Persson (Gothenburg, Sweden), has also been added to the team, but due to NCAA requirements will sit out 2012 before joining competition in 2013. 

With a new coach, and new players, the Knights are confident that the growing pains that can sometimes take hold will not be a problem in San Francisco. Coach Peach has lined up some of the stiffest competition that Academy of Art has ever seen, facing off against some of the nation's top D-II and NAIA programs, and even putting the team to task against D-I San Jose State in March. 

Kinga Kurczbuch has a tendency toward physical and powerful play. The coaching staff believes that she can produce great doubles play as well, which is valuable, especially as a young freshman. Daniela Amelunge is also a physical player who has brought a lot of tennis background to ART U. Daniela has a clay court history, and Peach believes that her many years of playing tournaments at a high level will be very helpful to teammates. Persson isn't eligibile, but brings the ability to help us at practice to fill in. Her experience at Columbus State (GA) will give her the maturity to know what it takes to win and pass it along to the younger girls. 

"All the girls are top-flight, super girls," Coach Peach said. "Everyone has the ability to see 'we' and not 'me' while being in this program. This group will support each other, regardless of the situation. Winning and losing is a part of everyone's year. The ability to learn from each is crucial. I believe this team will raise the bar in this regard." 

That ability that Peach speaks of is definitely exemplified in the play of ART U's four seniors. Kunkanda "Cartoon" Phukchampa, Paola Correa Fe, Cecilia Hedin, and Belen Tenorio will all be finishing their careers at Academy of Art. The Knights will also be returning Courtney DeWalt, Amal Ben El Hadj, and former PacWest Freshman of the Year Diane Phan from last year's campaign. 

"They are a united group and each has contributed well to the success the team has had in the past," said Peach. "The infusion of the new players will be felt. New recruits with new ways of play, new strengths, and higher levels will push everyone. But those seniors were part of a program that broke into the top 50 in the Division II in only their third year of existence. That is no small accomplishment."

Phukchampa, who made the All-PacWest Second Team in both singles and doubles, will start the year as the number one after going 11-1 in singles play for the Knights. Ben El Hadj finished with a 14-2 singles record last year and advanced to the Round of 16 in the OJAI Tournament, which features many of the top D-II players in the country.

Both seniors teamed up to defeat the No. 3 duo in the nation in that same tournament and also made it to the Round of 16. Phan ended the year with a 10-2 singles record, and Fe concluded the year with an 8-4 singles mark. Belen Tenorio also saw growth over the season, and finished with a 7-5 overall singles record, and went 2-3 in doubles play.

"We'll have to hit the ground running, as our first match of the year is against reigning NAIA champions Fresno Pacific," said Coach Peach. "Hopefully we will see the team improve steadily and peak at the PacWest championships. We will see the results of his work very soon."