Former Tulsa All-American Martina Okalova Joins Coaching Staff
10/20/2021 1:22:00 PM | Women's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. –– Former Tulsa All-American Martina Okalova (Oak-a-lova) has joined the women's tennis coaching staff as interim assistant coach, it was announced today by Head Coach Dean Orford.
Okalova returns to Tulsa after competing professionally since ending her collegiate playing career last May.
The native of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, completed her Tulsa career ranked 10th on the school's career singles wins list with an 82-37 record and third on the doubles list with 95 career doubles wins. In the 2020-21 season, she posted a singles mark of 14-4 from the No. 1 position and was 16-4 in doubles competition with teammate Vera Ploner. The doubles tandem registered a 5-1 record against nationally ranked opponents a year ago.
Okalova finished the 2020-21 season ranked 83rd nationally in the ITA Final Rankings and was also ranked 80th in doubles with Ploner. The duo earned All-America honors in the 2018-19 season, posting an overall 29-7 doubles mark and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals.
Okalova was a member of the 2017-18 team that won the American Athletic Conference Championship and was the first Tulsa women's tennis team to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16. She helped Tulsa reach the title match of The American in two additional seasons (2016-17, 2020-21).
A three-time all-conference and academic all-conference selection, Okalova was named The American's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the sport of women's tennis following the 2019-20 campaign.
Okalova returns to Tulsa after competing professionally since ending her collegiate playing career last May.
The native of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, completed her Tulsa career ranked 10th on the school's career singles wins list with an 82-37 record and third on the doubles list with 95 career doubles wins. In the 2020-21 season, she posted a singles mark of 14-4 from the No. 1 position and was 16-4 in doubles competition with teammate Vera Ploner. The doubles tandem registered a 5-1 record against nationally ranked opponents a year ago.
Okalova finished the 2020-21 season ranked 83rd nationally in the ITA Final Rankings and was also ranked 80th in doubles with Ploner. The duo earned All-America honors in the 2018-19 season, posting an overall 29-7 doubles mark and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals.
Okalova was a member of the 2017-18 team that won the American Athletic Conference Championship and was the first Tulsa women's tennis team to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16. She helped Tulsa reach the title match of The American in two additional seasons (2016-17, 2020-21).
A three-time all-conference and academic all-conference selection, Okalova was named The American's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the sport of women's tennis following the 2019-20 campaign.
Players Mentioned
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