College Knowledge: MIT Women's Tennis

CAMBRIDGE, MA - Carol Matsuzaki, a 10-time NEWMAC Coach of the Year, is the winningest coach in MIT women’s tennis history. In her 24 seasons at the helm, Matsuzaki has created a positive, inclusive and winning culture that’s led the Engineers to two National Elite 8 appearances. This season, her squad is off to a 5-1 (at the time of writing) dual-match record and she hopes to continue that success to the postseason.

Matsuzaki shared some of her keys to success, recruiting tips and reasons for excitement in getting back on the court in 2022 after nearly two canceled seasons. 

What type of student-athlete do you seek out when recruiting at MIT?

There are so many different types of student-athletes out there! In terms of academics, the recruit needs to meet the academic standards for admission to MIT, which are very high! They should also have an interest in studying a field that MIT offers. The recruit should also be at a tennis level where they can contribute to the team in practices and matches. Having some doubles skills is a bonus. Other than that, I am open and really do not have a ‘type’ of recruit that I am searching for. The magic happens when we come together.

What can a prospective New England recruit do to impress you if they are interested in MIT tennis?

Start by writing an email to me (handy@mit.edu) introducing yourself and why you’re interested in MIT!

What advice would you give to a New England junior who might be interested in MIT?

One piece of advice would be to take the initiative and get in touch with me, rather than having your parents write the first email or make the first call. I know it can be hard, especially if it’s your first time reaching out to a college coach, but you will earn my respect if I can see it’s hard but you still did it!

Last year, New Englander Vanessa Kitova was one of your captains. What did she mean to your program?

Vanessa was one of the most caring leaders we have ever had on the team. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of getting to know Vanessa and truly miss seeing her every day. One of the things that I remember about Vanessa is that as busy as she was at MIT, she would always take the extra time to check in with her teammates or give someone a kind word when they needed it most. 

Another thing that stood out about Vanessa is that she was amazing at holding the most interesting conversations…but did not know it! Our first “debate” was about the benefits of engaging in small talk (I was ‘for’, she was ‘against’)!

Also special is that Vanessa was a two-time recipient of the Vikki Auzenne Memorial Leadership Award, which is probably the most prestigious award given out to a team member. It is completely peer-voted and recognizes a player that demonstrated extraordinary mentorship within the team.