Maja Kovacek has returned the Illinois State women's tennis program to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference, having led the Redbirds to three regular season titles, two NCAA Tournament appearances and a 41-5 record in league play the past eight seasons. Named head coach on June 30, 2014, Kovacek is entering her 12th year at the helm of the program during the 2025-26 academic year and will assume head coaching duties for the men's tennis program this season as well.
A three-time MVC Coach of the Year, Kovacek has led the Redbirds to a 31-15 mark over the past two seasons, including a 13-3 mark in MVC play. During the 2024-25 campaign, the Redbirds finished 6-2 in conference play had four players earn All-MVC honors. Freshman Nicole Iosio was tabbed All-MVC First Team singles at No. 5, while fellow freshman Sophie Marie Lowe received All-MVC Second Team honors at No. 6. The duo of Elena Jankulovska and freshman Emma Lindh also earned doubles All-MVC First Team accolades. It was Jankulovska's third time earning All-MVC honors, while Lindh was one of only two freshmen honored for their doubles play, joining by Murray State's Bruna Melato.
The 2023-24 season was also a strong one for the Redbirds, who finishted 17-7 overall during the spring and went 7-1 in conference play. Sophomore Lana Caculovic was named the MVC Newcomer of the Year and Silvia Pomarolli took home First-Team All-MVC honors and was selected as the league's Scholar Athlete of the Year. Pomarolli earned her first MVC All-Conference honors after going a perfect 8-0 during conference play in singles at the No. 4 spot for the Redbirds. In addition to her excellence in singles play, she has partnered with Nevena Kolarevic to put together a 15-3 mark in doubles play, including a 6-1 mark in MVC action at the No. 2 spot for ISU.
Kovacek led the Redbirds to an undefeated mark during the 2023 conference regular season at 8-0 and to the No. 1 seed in the MVC Championship, earning her MVC Coach of the Year honors for the third time in four seasons. The regular-season championship was the third in the last five seasons for the Redbirds, who took home three of the six singles spots on the 2023 MVC All-Conference team (including league Freshman of the Year Kolarevic at the No. 3 spot), as well as two of the three All-MVC doubles pairings. Alexandra Abyasova took home All-MVC honors at No. 2 singles, Tara Damnjanovic was named MVC All-Conference at the No. 4 singles position, and Zlatanovic was one of six MVC "All-Select" team members. The No. 1 doubles team of Zlatanovic and Tara Damnjanovic were voted the league's top doubles tandem for the third season in a row. and the final team recognized was that of Kolarevic and Jankulovska, who earned All-MVC honors at the No. 3 doubles spot. Jankulovska would also go on to be named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the MVC Elite 17 award winner, a third-team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators (CSC).
The Redbirds finished with a 17-7 overall record during the 2021-22 season, including a 4-1 mark in MVC play with the lone loss coming on the road to Drake. ISU brought home five All-MVC honors following the regular season, with Maria Potsi (No. 3), Penelope Abreu (No. 5) and Zlatanovic (All-Select) each earning honors in singles and the teams of Zlatanovic and Tara Damnjanovic (No. 1) and Potsi and Abreu (No. 2) earning All-MVC honors in doubles. The 'Birds punched their ticket to the NCAA Championship after a thrilling 4-3 win over No. 1 seed and host Drake in the finals of the MVC Championship The Redbirds made their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance, with the last coming in 2019 when they headed to the West Coast to take on USC.
After the 2019-20 season was abruptly cut short, Kovacek and the Redbirds re-focused and returned to the court during the winter and spring of 2021 looking to prove they were still the top team in the MVC. The team put together a 17-8 overall record and earned the MVC regular-season title play, which earned Kovacek MVC Women's Tennis Coach of the Year honors for the second time in as many seasons (award was not given in 2020 due to COVID-19). Just as she did in 2019 when she was named MVC Coach of the Year, Kovacek led the Redbirds to an undefeated 5-0 mark during the 2021 regular season which earned ISU the No. 1 spot in the MVC Championship.
In addition to the "Of The Year" honors, Illinois State student-athletes claimed three of the six singles spots on the 2021 MVC All-Conference team, as well as all three doubles pairings, with Tijana Zlatanovic taking home All-Conference honors at the No. 1 spot and the league's Player and Freshman of the Year honors.
She also led the Redbirds to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 14 years during the 2018-19 campaign, earning the automatic bid after downing Stony Brook in a thrilling 4-3 match to clinch the MVC Tournament Title. The Redbirds held an unblemished conference record, finishing a perfect 5-0 streak, claiming the regular season MVC title as well.
Kovacek (pronounced MY-uh KO-vuh-check) arrived at Illinois State following a seven-year career as Oregon's women's tennis assistant coach, where she helped the Ducks to dual match wins over 12 ranked opponents in the last seven years. Throughout her tenure at Oregon, Kovacek demonstrated that her considerable ability on the playing court transfers seamlessly into the coaching ranks.
Included among key wins during Kovacek's Oregon career was a 4-3 triumph over No. 20 Washington during the 2010-11 campaign. The victory was monumental for the Ducks, vaulting them from being unranked to No. 54 nationally in mid-March. Oregon was also ranked as high as No. 71 in 2013-14, with Kovacek and the Ducks securing a 4-3 victory over No. 60 Colorado.
As an undergraduate assistant coach at her alma mater - New Mexico - before coming to Oregon, Kovacek worked with all areas of the program during the 2006-07 season, including practicing and conditioning.
Kovacek is equally respected in national circles as a top-collegiate student-athlete. At New Mexico, she was a two-time All-American in 2004 and 2006 and a three-year NCAA qualifier (2004, 2005 and 2006). In the national rankings, Kovacek climbed as high as No. 2 in doubles and No. 21 in singles.
For her efforts, Kovacek was tabbed Mountain West Conference (MWC) Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005, while earning MWC Student-Athlete of the Year recognition in 2006. She was selected as one of 30 national NCAA Woman of the Year nominees in 2006, and she was team captain of the Lobos as a senior. Kovacek also garnered New Mexico Female Athlete of the Year honors in 2005 and 2006.
In the classroom, Kovacek was equally decorated as an MWC Scholar Athlete Award winner in 2004, 2005 and 2006, an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Academic All-American selection, an ITA Scholar Athlete honoree and an ESPN Academic All-District recipient. Away from the court, she was a Habitat for Humanity volunteer and a treasurer for the Women Athletes in Medicine and Health Sciences organization.
Prior to college, Kovacek played on the WTA circuit in 2001 and 2002. She then resumed circuit competition after graduating en route to achieving her highest world ranking of No. 1062.
A Croatia native, Kovacek graduated from New Mexico with Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology and sociology in 2006.
YEAR BY YEAR DUAL SEASON RECORDS
2014-15 2-19, 0-7 MVC
2015-16 13-11, 4-3 MVC
2016-17 11-12, 5-2 MVC
2017-18 13-10, 4-1 MVC
2018-19 20-7, 5-0 MVC (MVC Champions, NCAA Tournament)
2019-20 6-7, 0-0 MVC (season cut short due to COVID-19)
2020-21 17-8, 5-0 MVC (MVC Champions)
2021-22 17-7, 4-1 MVC (NCAA Tournament)
2022-23 16-7, 8-0 MVC (MVC Champions)
2023-24 17-7, 7-1 MVC
2024-25 14-8, 6-2 MVC
Totals 146-88, 48-17 MVC
