| Lisa Hart |
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Lisa Hart enters her sixth season as the Washington State head women's tennis coach, having guided the Cougars to three-straight winning seasons and its first NCAA Championship appearance since since 2001.
Last season, Hart guided her squad to a 16-10 overall record; the winning record is the third straight for the Cougars. The Pacific-10 Conference schedule was highlighted by a 4-3 victory over in-state rival No. 34 the Washington Huskies. The No.34 Huskies is the highest ranked opponent the Cougars beat during the 2008-07 season.
The Cougars' 2008 schedule was one of the toughest schedules the Cougars have ever faced. WSU played 13 nationally-ranked opponents, while defeating five of them: No.56 BYU, No. 68 Utah, No. 59 Boise State, No. 46 Oregon and No. 34 Washington. Hart guided the team through this tough schedule t 16 victories which is the most since the 1995-96 season when the Cougars posted 17 wins.
The 2006-07 Cougar team started off the year ranked No. 66 nationally. They started off the season with a five match winning streak which propelled the Cougars to a No. 56 ranking. Wins over No. 30 BYU and No. 47 Sacramento State helped them jump to a season high No. 41 ranking. The Cougars ended the season ranked No. 45 with a record of 14-11.
During the 2005-06 season, Coach Hart led the Cougars to a season high ranking of No. 69. The season was highlighted by three victories over ranked opponents No. 73 Boise State, No. 75 Loyola Marymount and No. 61 South Alabama. Coach Hart led the Cougars to their first winning season since 2000-01 with a record of 14-12.
During the 2004-05 season, Hart led the Cougars to a season high ranking of No. 64, bolstered by upsets wins over nationally-ranked San Diego and Santa Clara. The season ended with a 9-14 record and included notable wins against Cal State Northridge, Montana, and Idaho. The Cougars took three nationally-ranked teams to the wire, losing 4-3 to No. 25 BYU, No. 44 Iowa and No. 73 Colorado.
During the 2003-04 season, Hart's first at WSU, the Cougars were ranked No. 51 and captured three wins over ranked opponents. WSU's biggest victory came at No. 23 Oregon in mid-March. The Cougars also defeated Oklahoma State and San Diego State, both ranked in the top 50 nationally at the time.
During Hart's tenure with the Cougars she has been dedicated to community outreach. She was selected as the winner of the 2004, 2005 and 2007 Community Service Award by the United States Tennis Association and Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The award is to honor ITA coaches for their significant contributions in developing community based tennis programs through community centers, schools, parks, community tennis associations, inner city, suburban or rural programs.
Currently, Hart is a member of the ITA Northwest Regional Committee and the ITA National Operating Committee for the Northwest Region.
Prior to WSU, Hart spent three seasons at Virginia Tech where she guided the Hokies to a 45-36 record in three seasons including third-place finishes each year in the Big East Conference.
During the 2002-03 season, Hart's Virginia Tech squad concluded the year ranked 69th nationally and eighth in the East region. The Hokies posted victories over No. 27 Oregon, No. 65 Marshall, No. 66 Middle Tennessee State, No. 67 Florida Atlantic and No. 72 Penn State. Hart was a member of the International Tennis Association (ITA) East Region committee from 2001-03 and chaired the committee in 2002-03. The East Region is the largest region in the United States with over 80 schools.
Prior to Virginia Tech, Hart served as the assistant women's tennis coach at the University of Nebraska for two years. While on the Nebraska staff, she helped the Cornhuskers compile a two year record of 36-13, including a 19-5 record in 2000.
Hart was a tennis standout at Nebraska, finishing her career as one of the most successful women's tennis players in school history. She recorded 74 career singles victories winning the Big 12 Conference No. 2 singles title as a senior.
Hart, the 1995 Big Eight Freshman of the Year, was the first women's tennis player at Nebraska to win a conference singles title since 1978 and only the sixth player in Cornhuskers' history. She was selected to the all-conference team twice and upon graduation her 74 wins ranked No. 3 on the school's career singles victory list.
Her dedication and excellence on the court was matched in the classroom as Hart was a three-time academic all-conference selection, earning first-team academic All-Big 12 honors as a senior. She was selected by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association as the Central Region's "Cissie Learie Sportsmanship Award" winner, one of six throughout the country. As a senior, Hart also received the Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship and Leadership Award.
A native of Sunnyside, Wash., Hart had an outstanding high school career at Sunnyside High where she was a three-time State champion. She also earned All-America honors as a high school sophomore. Hart earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Nebraska and also holds a master's degree in education with an emphasis in physical education and sports studies from Nebraska.
Hart and her husband John, an attorney, reside in Pullman with their two-year-old daughter, Mary Beth.
