New York University Women's Tennis

Choy is in his 24 th  season as Head Coach of the New York University womens tennis team. Since taking over prior to the 1993-94 season, Choys teams have produced an overall 153-155 record, including 14 seasons of .500-or-better efforts.   Last season, the womens team had one of its best campaigns in program history under Choy, thanks to some talented newcomers and solid returners. The Violets posted a 9-4 dual-match record, their most wins since 2006-07, and finished the season ranked #29 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the programs first-ever national ranking.   Choys players set many individual season records, as well. Senior Carmen Lai set a new team mark with 20 singles wins, tied the program record with 11 #1 singles victories and notched the second-best single-season win percentage (.869, 20-3) in team annals. Freshman Vanessa Scotts 16 singles wins were the third-most in a season, while freshman Flyora Shiyanovas 15 wins were tied for fourth. The duo also finished the season among the all-time leaders in singles winning percentage. Scott's .889 (16-2) mark was the highest in a season in program history, while Shiyanova's .833 (15-3) was third best. The Violets also had great success in doubles play last season, as junior Laila El Dessouki's 14 wins were tied for the fourth-most in a season, while senior captain Madeline King's seven wins at #3 doubles were tied for the fourth-most all-time. El Dessouki went 3-0 at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship at #4 singles and earned Second Team All-UAA honors. The Violets were also successful in the classroom in 2015-16, as El Dessouki, senior captain Madeline King, Lai, and sophomore Nicole Schnabel all earned UAA Spring Sport All-Academic accolades, while El Dessouki and Lai also received the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports-Scholar Award.   In 2014-15, for the first time in team history, NYU womens tennis players earned ITA All-America honors. El Dessouki and Lai achieved the feat after winning the ITA Northeast Regional Doubles Championship during the fall. The Violet pairing won five matches at the competition, including a three-set victory over the #1 pair from Vassar College in the finals.   In addition to becoming the first NYU women's double pair to ever win an ITA title, El Dessouki and Lai automatically qualified for the United States Tennis Association (USTA)/ITA Small College Championships, where they wound up finishing seventh in the nation.   The 2013-14 season featured several notable performances, as Alison Wang led NYU in wins for the second straight season, posting an overall record of 7-3 at #1 singles. During the fall season, the Violets swept 11 doubles matches at the Vassar Invitational. Wang and Ashley Masanto advanced to the round of 16 in singles at the ITA Northeast Regionals, while also combining to reach the doubles semifinals. At the NY State Championships, Mari Tzakis and King reached the #3 and #4 singles finals, respectively.   The Violets posted a 5-6 record in dual matches during the 2012-13 season and concluded the campaign ranked #13 in the ITA Northeast Region. It represented the first time the team had finished a season in the regional rankings since 2009-10, when NYU completed the year at #19.   Individually, Wang and Tzakis tied for the team lead in singles wins, as both compiled identical 8-3 records at the #2 and #3 spots, respectively. In doubles play, Tzakis and King combined to lead the squad in victories with a 12-6 record. The duo captured the #2 doubles title at the New York State DIII Championships, while both Tzakis and King won individual titles at #3 and #4 singles, respectively. Overall, NYU won four of the nine flights at the competition.   In 2007-08, the Violets finished 8-8 and ended up ranked #14 in the ITA Northeast Region. Choys #1 doubles team of Holly Smith and Meggie Smith (no relation) finished 17-6, garnered Second Team All-UAA honors and was ranked #9 in the ITA Northeast Region doubles rankings. Additionally, Holly Smith captured the NYSWCAA #3 singles title and earned a #23 ranking in the ITA Northeast Region. Meanwhile, the tandem of Jaclyn Manning and Stephanie Tu won the NYSWCAA #2 Doubles Championship.    Choy took over as Head Coach of the Violets mens tennis team prior to the 2007-08 season, and his squads have posted an overall 63-69 record over his first nine seasons. In his first year, Choy led the Violets to a 10-9 record a six-win improvement from 2006-07 and a fifth-place performance at the UAA Championship.   Prior to coming to NYU, Choy spent five seasons as the Head Girls Tennis Coach at New York Citys Hunter High School. His teams compiled a 38-2 record during his tenure at the school and three times advanced to the semifinals of the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) playoffs. Choy helped lead Hunter to the PSAL Championship match in 1990 and to two semifinal appearances in the Mayors Cup competition.   A 1987 graduate of NYUs School of Business and Public Administration with a Bachelor of Science degree in management and marketing, Choy was a two-year member of the Violets mens tennis team. Also serving as a tennis instructor at NYU, Choy has been a United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) certified teaching pro since 1990.   I have always enjoyed the camaraderie that comes with team sports, Choy said. Tennis also allows you to work on aspects of the game on your own. In a match, the player is out there on the line and you have to rely on your own character. I believe that playing college tennis really gives you the best of both worlds, and I really enjoy the challenge of helping my players through that.   A Manhattan native and resident, Choy is married to Silvana, a 1994 NYU graduate and four-year swimming team member. They are the proud parents of Miranda and Alexander. Choys Year-by-Year Records   1993-94           8-7       .533 1994-95           9-4       .692 1995-96           7-3       .700 1996-97           5-6       .454 1997-98           6-2       .750 1998-99           11-6     .647 1999-00           10-7     .588 2000-01           9-8       .529 2001-02           12-5     .706 2002-03           7-6       .538 2003-04           8-6       .571 2004-05           3-8       .273 2005-06           9-5       .643 2006-07           10-7     .588 2007-08           8-8      .500 2008-09           6-10     .375 2009-10           4-9       .307 2010-11           1-11     .083 2011-12           0-12     .000 2012-13           5-6       .454 2013-14           1-9       .100 2014-15           5-6       .455 Totals         153-155   .496