Kelly Stahlhuth, the second women's tennis coach in WU program history, begins her eighth season on the Danforth Campus.
Stahlhuth has led the Washington University women's tennis team to at least 11 wins in each of her seven seasons on the Danforth Campus. Additionally, she has led the Bears to five-straight NCAA Tournament berths, and six overall trips to the postseason. In 2011-12, Washington U. posted a 15-8 overall record and earned an at-large bert into the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second round for the fifth-straight season. The Bears finished third in the University Athletic Association (UAA) for the second year in a row, knocking off then-No. 4 Carnegie Mellon University, 5-4, in the third-place match.
On April 29, 2012, Stahlhuth picked up her 100th victory at the helm of the Washington U. program as the Bears swept Webster University at the Tao Tennis Center. Three student-athletes - senior Natalie Tingir (singles) and junior Kate Klein and sophomore Corinne Rauck (doubles) earned spots in the 2012 NCAA Individual Championships. Tingir finished the season ranked No. 14 in Division III women's singles, becoming the second student-athlete in Stahlhuth's tenure to earn Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-America honors.
In her first season with the Red and Green, Stahlhuth mentored WU to a 14-9 overall record and its seventh-straight trip the NCAA Tournament. The Bears also took third place at the UAA Championship in Atlanta, while junior Erin Fleming qualified for the NCAA Singles Championship in Santa Cruz, Calif. In addition, freshman Carrie Preston became Stahlhuth's first ITA All-American after winning the 2005 ITA Central Regional Singles Championship in October.
Stahlhuth led the Bears to another above-.500 campaign in 2006-07, when they finished 11-10 overall and 2-1 in conference play. Her third season at the helm of the WU women's tennis program produced one of the most successful seasons in school history. Stahlhuth's squad posted a 17-6 overall record, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bears also placed third at the UAA Championship in St. Louis.
The 2009-10 campaign brought another NCAA Tournament berth and Stahlhuth's first trip to the NCAA Regional Championship. Additionally, Kate Klein became the first player in school history to earn ITA Division III National Rookie of the Year honors while becoming the second student-athlete under Stahlhuth's tutelage to qualify for the NCAA Individual Championships. In 2010-11 the Bears posted a 16-6 overall record and finished third in the UAA for the first time since 2008.
Stahlhuth, who taught tennis professionally for 15 years, came to the Danforth Campus after serving as a professional tennis instructor at the Missouri Athletic Club West since 2003. She also had a stint there from 1995-97. Prior to her time at Missouri Athletic Club West, Stahlhuth served as a professional instructor at Town and Country Racquet Club from 1989-95.
A graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., Stahlhuth captained the Hoosiers during her junior and senior seasons. A two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and four-time all-conference selection, Stahlhuth earned doubles All-America accolades in 1987 and 1989. For her efforts, she was also inducted into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.
Stahlhuth graduated from Indiana in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in business (accounting). She earned a masters of art in management and leadership from Webster University in 2009.