Coe College Women's Tennis

Mike Strydom was named the Women's Tennis head coach on May 23, 2020 and has since reestablished Coe a powerhouse in the conference, culminating in the program's first conference tournament title since 2018. The Kohawks have picked up 18 all-conference selections, four conference MVP honors and one Rookie of the Year honor since Strydom has taken over.  In his first season with the Kohawks, Strydom helped coach three all-conference performers as Emma Lassen, Janie Lapray and Eliza Sundermann earned the honors. Coach Strydom's Kohawks continued to succeed in 2021-22 with four more players earning all-conference honors. Freshman Madison Schultz was named the American Rivers Conference MVP after a dominant 6-0 season in league singles play. Emma Lassen, Eliza Sundermann and Isabella Hoppenjans also earned recognition from the league as the Kohawks fell to Luther in the league's AQ Tournament. Schultz repeated as the A-R-C MVP in 2022-23 earning her second straight honor. Emma Lassen and Jania Carter-Johnson joined Schultz as all-conference performers. 2023-24 was another strong season for Strydom's team, winning 12 matches overall while Schultz claimed her third A-R-C MVP honor. Additionally, the junior won the A-R-C Individual Singles Championship, defeating her teammate Alliandra Hagness in the title match. Following Coe's season, four Kohawks were named all-conference including freshmen Sophia Fain and Hagness.  2024-25 was the most successful year since 2018 for the Kohawks, going 18-8 in dual matches and 7-1 in the conference season. Coe avenged its regular-season loss to Luther in the conference tournament, defeating Luther 4-1 in the title match. The Kohawks dropped their opening match at the NCAA tournament to North Central falling 4-2 in a tightly contested battle.  Strydom's career began in 1998 at the Umtentweni Tennis Club in Umtentweni, South Africa where he served as the club's teaching professional and director of tennis. The following year, Mike moved to Hancock, New York where he served as the director of tennis at the Frenchwood Festivals of Art in 1999. In 2000, Strydom returned to South Africa, serving as the head boys and girls tennis coach at Port Shepstone High School where he helped set a new school record with 15 wins in a season.  Strydom came to Iowa in 2007 to serve as an assistant tennis coach, and later head coach, at Wartburg College. Following his time in Waverly, Strydom started a position as the director of boarding at the Saddlebrook Prep School and Tennis/Golf academies in Florida. Most recently, Mike served as a teaching professional at the Blackhawk Tennis Club in Waterloo, Iowa. Mike Strydom's Year-by-Year Overall Conference  Year Won Loss Pct. Won Loss Pct. Place Postseason 2020-21  9 10 .474 3 5 .375 6th 2021-22 13 9 .591 6 2 .750 2nd 2022-23 13 8 .619 7 1 .875 2nd 2023-24 12 10 .545 7 1 .875 2nd 2024-25 18 8 .692 7 1 .875 2nd A-R-C Tournament Champions NCAA Tournament First Round Career 65 45 .590 30 10 .743 One A-R-C Tournament Title One NCAA Tournament Appearance  

A 2018 graduate of Luther College, Christian was a standout athlete, currently teaches High School Math at Central City High School in Central City, Iowa. While at Luther, she earned back-to-back all-conference honors in singles play in 2016 and 2017 while earning all-conference honors in doubles play in 2017. 

A longtime member of the Kohawk tennis family, Garber joined the staff in the fall of 2014. A Cedar Rapids native, Garber is the most decorated female player in school history.    Garber graduated with 175 career wins and held the top spot on the career singles and doubles list upon graduation in 2009. The four-time Iowa Conference MVP twice qualified for the NCAA Singles National Championship. She also qualified for the 2009 NCAA National Doubles Championships with Andrea Schupbach. Garber also won the ITA Central Region Singles Championship and partnered with Schupbach to win the 2009 ITA Central Region Doubles Championship, advancing to the ITA National finals both years. Garber is the only female tennis player in school history to earn All-American honors in singles and doubles.   Garber obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Coe's renowned Nursing program in 2009.  She also received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish.  Garber works as a Nurse in Cedar Rapids and is nearing the completion of her Nurse Practitioner.     Garber resides in Cedar Rapids with her husband, Chad, and their twin boys, Ryley & Ryker.  She enjoys traveling, shopping for the boys and spending time with family and friends.