AMHERST, N.Y. - Former Wildcat Karli Hollins will be returning to the Daemen College tennis program in an assistant coaching role under the tutelage of head coach Jesse Plote. The first-year Daemen head coach made the announcement today.
Hollins was a three-year letter-winner for the Wildcats, competing from 2014-17. The Orchard Park native played at No. 1 singles and doubles and accumulated a combined 57 singles and doubles victories in her Daemen career, a total that ranked second in program history at the time of her graduation. She currently ranks fourth in combined wins, fifth in singles wins (27) and third in doubles wins (30) among the program's all-time leaders. She also remains the program's all-time leader in singles winning percentage (.509).Â
Before arriving at Daemen, Hollins spent one year competing at the State University of New York at Geneseo where she helped the Knights win a conference championship. As a prep star at Orchard Park High School, Hollins won an individual sectional championship and two more in doubles, making her a three-time state tournament qualifier.Â
Since concluding her collegiate career, Hollins has entered the coaching world. She's been a teaching pro at Miller Tennis Center, the indoor home of Daemen tennis, where she works with individuals from age three to adults. She was also appointed as the girls varsity tennis coach at Lancaster High School this past fall.Â
"We are very excited to welcome Karli Hollins to our Daemen College coaching staff," Plote said. "Karli has been a number one player during the three years she attended Daemen College and will bring a wealth of experience to the program. I look forward to having Karli work with both the men's and women's tennis teams."
Hollins' previous playing and coaching experience figures to mesh well with that of Plote who was introduced as the fourth head coach in program history last September. A former Division I player at Creighton, Plote holds previous head coaching experience at both the Division II (Nebraska-Kearney) and Division I (Bradley) levels.Â
Hollins, who will complete her undergraduate studies as part of her student assistant position, of course rejoins the program at a time when COVID-19 has forced interruptions across the collegiate sports landscape. The Daemen men's and women's tennis teams have not yet competed this season, but are expected to get competitions underway next month, including East Coast Conference slates for both teams. Further details on both teams' spring 2021 seasons will be announced at a later date.Â
Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.
Support Daemen College's return to intercollegiate athletic competitions by making a contribution to the Game On Campaign and the Daemen Wildcats Gotta Play Fund. This comprehensive fundraising campaign was established to help offset the loss of valuable external revenue streams that directly support Daemen's 17 varsity teams. To learn more, visit daemenwildcats.com/gameon.
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