San Francisco, CA -- Returning a large chunk of their roster that set numerous program records in 2013, the Academy of Art University tennis squad didn't seem to have a lot of room to improve, but a new head coach and another year together made a big difference as they took yet another step forward throughout the 2014 season. The Urban Knights rolled through the season in one of the most competitive conferences in the country, battling their way to the highest winning percentage in program history and advancing all the way to the NCAA Division II West Regionals for the first time as well. 

"When I saw the team at our first practice on the court I was excited to see what this season had in store for us," said head coach Beth Daub, who capped off a successful first year at the helm. "I saw the talent and ability but it was going to be the motivation and coming together as a team that would take us further. The girls jumped on board pretty quick with my program and once they started seeing results it was only a matter of time before everything started to click for us. Tennis players are creatures of routine so once we had a nice routine going it made the rest of the puzzle pieces fall into place."
 The Knights started off the year with a bang, defeating #10 Fresno Pacific handily getting all three doubles matches in convincing fashion and then receiving singles wins from senior

. The doubles team of Nina Gajdosikova & Daniela Amelunge Antelo took home Second Team All-PacWest honors after a 12-9 season in the top doubles spot highlighted by a pair of wins over nationally ranked opponents and three wins over ranked opponents in the West Region. Gadjosikova also took home Second Team All-PacWest for singles play, while Lucia Zavarcikova and Michelle Dandik Zaale both made the Third Team All-PacWest.

The rest of the squad also impressed, with Amelunge Antelo totaling a 15-2 record in singles play, junior Jenny Johansson posting an outstanding 17-2 record, freshman Annika Schneider going 11-3, and Kinga Kurczbuch a perfect 7-0. The team as a whole had a .730 winning percentage in singles, and also a .778 mark in doubles, led by Dandik Zaale and Schneider going 18-2 on the year. Johansson and Zavarcikova posted a 17-2 record together, giving the Knights multiple advantages throughout the year after doubles play.

"The team kept growing closer and believing in each other as the season went on. Knowing that your teammates are there to back you up if you have a rough day is something we worked on," said Daub. "You can't always rely on the same players, so having them each have their moments throughout the season was wonderful to see." 

Both Daub (Coach of the Year) and Schneider (Freshman of the Year) were honored at the inaugural ARTYs Awards, an end-of-the-year banquet honoring all of the artist-athletes and their coaches for their performances this past year. The awards were voted on by the players, coaches, and administrative staff, and capped off a landmark year for Urban Knights tennis.

"Seeing all the athletes come together as one group and support one another was fantastic. The Knight pride was shown and it is a great tradition to now have," said Daub. "As a coach I could not have asked for a better first year at ART U, the girls know what they are capable of now and I can't wait to see what next year brings us."