University of Delaware Athletics
Women's Tennis
- Title:
- Director of Tennis
- Email:
- montanap@udel.edu
In 2021-22 Delaware set the program record with 19 dual-match victories on the season, putting together three different winning streaks with four wins or more. The Blue Hens had 14 matches where their opponents registered just one point or fewer, including eight clean sweeps. A large part of that success was the team's dominance up and down the lineup in singles play as the squad held at least a .667 winning percentage at five of the six singles positions. There was no letup in doubles play, however, as the Blue Hens won 76 percent (51-6) of their matches in dual matches.Â
Following a five-match winning streak in February that included a road victory at Rutgers, UD entered the ITA rankings for the first time since 2013 and remained in the top 75Â for a couple of weeks.Â
The Blue & Gold ended the regular season with four-consecutive wins, including decisive conference victories over Drexel (6-1) and Towson (7-0). The 18-5 record in the regular season, including a 3-2 mark against conference opponents, helped UD earn the No. 3 seed at the 2022 CAA Championships, tying with the 2018 squad for the highest seeding in program history. The Blue Hens defeated No. 6 Drexel 4-1 in the quarterfinals to earn the team’s second-ever appearance in the CAA Semifinals, and the first since 2013. UD lost a heartbreaker, 4-3, to No. 2 William & Mary in the semifinals in a match that came down to the deciding third set of the final singles match.
The Blue & Gold set or tied seven team and individual program records and several Blue Hens also put their names in the record books with several top performances.
Alina Vasilenko was named the CAA Co-Freshman of the Year, becoming just the second Blue Hen to earn the honor, while also earning All-CAA First Team laurels in singles and doubles. Eliza Askarova was tabbed All-CAA Second Team in singles with a 15-8 record at the No. 1 position. As a team, the Blue Hens finished ranked eighth in the Atlantic Region.
During the 2020-21 season, he served as the interim head coach of the women's tennis program, leading it to a perfect 7-0 record, the first undefeated season since 1997, and a 2-0 conference mark leading to five Colonial Athletic Association honors for the Blue Hens.
BEFORE DELAWARE:
Montana joined the Blue Hens after spending the previous 14 seasons as the women’s tennis head coach at California University of Pennsylvania, where he built one of the nation’s elite Division II programs.
A two-time ITA National Coach of the Year, five-time ITA Regional Coach of the Year, and eight-time PSAC West Coach of the Year, Montana was the winningest coach in program history with an outstanding record of 276-83 (.769) from 2002-2016. Cal U posted 12 straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the quarterfinals seven times in eight seasons from 2007-14.
Montana led the Vulcans to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship in each of his last 10 seasons and mentored eight different ITA All-Americans in his last nine years.
In addition to the success on the court, Montana guided his squad into a premier program in the classroom. In each of his last 10 years, the Vulcans earned ITA All-Academic honors with 39 players receiving ITA Scholar-Athlete status. Cal U also featured a CoSIDA Academic All-District® selection four times in his last five years, highlighted by Franziska Steinhardt becoming the first Academic All-American in program history.
A three-time All-American at Tennessee from 1993-96, Montana was also a three-time All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection, earning first-team honors in both singles and doubles play in 1996. Montana and doubles partner Chris Mahony earned the No. 1 ITA national doubles ranking after claiming the prestigious Rolex Intercollegiate National Indoor Championship title. The pair ranks second in Volunteers’ history with 75 career doubles wins.
He played on the professional tour for two seasons and ranked as high as 368 on the ATP tour world doubles rankings.
Montana entered the collegiate coaching ranks as the assistant men's coach at Vanderbilt University, where he also guided the women's program to the final eight of the World Team Tennis Championships that were held at Stanford University.
He was an integral part of the recruiting process that brought national-caliber players to Nashville which led the Commodores to the finals of the 2003 NCAA Division I Championship Tournament. He then went on to serve as the assistant men's tennis coach with Vanderbilt University for three years, helping build that program into a national powerhouse.
Montana gained valuable experience under head coach Ken Flach, who won 36 ATP doubles titles, achieved the No. 1 world ranking in doubles, and won a gold medal in the 1988 Olympics.
A native of Miami, Montana completed his bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Regents (N.Y.) in 1998 before he earned his master’s degree from Cal U in 2004. He is also certified with the Professional Tennis Registry.
Montana and his wife, Karen, have two children, Alexis and Silas.
| Montana's Year-by-Year Women's Head Coaching Record | ||||
| Year | School | Record | Conference | Â Postseason |
| 2002-03 | California (Pa.) | 12-6 | 4-4 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Quarterfinals NCAA Tournament First Round |
| 2003-04 | California (Pa.) | 18-8 | 3-5 PSAC West | |
| 2004-05 | California (Pa.) | 17-8 | 5-3 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Semifinals NCAA Tournament First Round |
| 2005-06 | California (Pa.) | 17-9 | 6-3 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Finals NCAA Tournament First Round |
| 2006-07 | California (Pa.) | 28-2 | 10-0 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2007-08 | California (Pa.) | 26-3 | 10-0 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament Fourth Round |
| 2008-09 | California (Pa.) | 23-3 | 7-0 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2009-10 | California (Pa.) | 24-6 | 7-0 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals |
| Â 2010-11 | California (Pa.) | 22-8 | 6-0 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals |
| Â 2011-12 | California (Pa.) | 24-6 | 8-0 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2012-13 | California (Pa.) | 17-10 | 5-0 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2013-14 | California (Pa.) | 15-3 | 6-0 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2014-15 | California (Pa.) | 15-4 | Â 6-0 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament Third Round |
| 2015-16 | California (Pa.) | 18-4 | 6-0 PSAC West | PSAC Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament Third Round |
| 2020-21 | Delaware | 7-1 | 2-0 CAA | CAA Quarterfinals |
| 2021-22 | Delaware | 19-6 | 3-2 CAA | CAA Semifinals |
| At Delaware | Two Seasons |
26-7 (.788) |
5-2 (.714) | |
| TOTAL | 16Â Seasons |
302-87 (.776) |
94-`7 (.847) | |
