Nordstrom Tabbed As Assistant Tennis Coach; Bacova Retires
2/13/2002 9:31:12 AM | Tennis
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University has named Marni Nordstrom assistant women's tennis coach for the Orangewomen. Nordstrom replaces Jana Strnadova-Bacova who has retired.
"We are fortunate to have someone with the experience and knowledge that Marni has. She has many years of experience teaching the game and that will help our student-athletes," said SU head tennis coach Mac Gifford. "She has competed at a highest level of collegiate tennis. That can only help our program."
Nordstrom was the head women's tennis coach at Denison University from 1995-99. While coaching Denison, Nordstrom also held the position of Director of Tennis and Head Tennis Professional at the Wedgewood Country Club in Powell, Ohio, from May, 1996 to November, 2000. Most recently, Nordstrom served as a tennis professional at the Jefferson Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.
Nordstrom was nationally ranked No. 18 in singles and No. 5 doubles as a junior. In college she was a member of a No.1 ranked Arizona State team. She competed in the Virginia Slims and the Swedish and Swiss Grand Prix Professional tournaments after college.
Nordstrom graduated from Arizona State with an English degree in 1973.
Bacova and her husband David Baca had their daughter, Karolina, in June of 2001.
"I will miss the team, the coaching and the SU family, and I need to tend to my own family now." Bacova said. "I will always be a part of Syracuse athletics."
Bacova is retiring after spending two seasons as assistant tennis coach for SU. In October of 2001 she was inducted into the Orange Plus Hall of Fame for her contributions to women's athletics at SU. Orange Plus is the support organization for women’s athletics at Syracuse University.
During her four-year SU career, Bacova earned her way into the SU Century Club with more than 100 career wins and the SU 50 & 150 Club with more than 50 wins in one season and 150 in her career. Her 202 career wins still stand as the most ever by an SU player. She became the first player to post back-to-back 50 win seasons when she recorded 58 as a freshman in 1992-93 and 57 as a sophomore in 1993-94. Bacova holds seven Syracuse single-season and career records, and she represented the Orangewomen in the NCAA Tournament three times during her career. In 1994, Strnadova advanced to the round of 16 at the NCAA championship, becoming the first player in Syracuse history to receive All-America status. Bacova was honored by the ITA as its East Region Rookie of the Year in 1993 and as the East Region Player of the Year in 1996.
Bacova was a two-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star and was a member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. She earned a GTE Academic All-America District I Spring At-Large honors in 1996. Following her senior campaign, she also received the Lucille Verhulst Sportswoman of the Year Award.
Bacova graduated from Syracuse in 1996 with a degree in marketing science.
