Perfect 10: Maes was UA star before becoming coach

Maes tops UA women's tennis list 

Vicky Maes might not have the same name recognition as some of her Arizona Wildcats’ coaching counterparts.

But Maes is quite possibly the most successful Wildcat of them all.

The native of Belgium has been the UA women’s tennis coach for 14 seasons and counting. Before that? She was one of the best and most accomplished tennis players in Wildcats history.

So, to those who follow the women’s tennis program, it should come as no surprise that Maes — who played at the UA from 1995-98 — is our pick for the No. 1 player in program history.

The case could certainly be made for Alixandra Creek, an Arizona Hall of Famer, a three-time Pac-10 champion, an NCAA doubles champion and a three-time All-American.

“The two best ever, without question,” said Becky Bell, a UA coach in the 1990s, “were Vicky and Alix.”

Most of Creek’s damage was done in a two-year stretch, while Maes was fairly dominant throughout the course of her four-year career. 

Why Maes?

It’s a laundry list of achievements for the now-UA coach. Maes won Pac-10 South Player of the Year in 1996 and was ranked No. 1 in the country at one point as a sophomore. She finished that year ranked No. 3, her freshman year ranked No. 24, junior at No. 24 and senior at No. 15.

Maes was a four-time all-conference selection, and to top it off was named to the Pac-10’s All-Decade team in 1998. She was also a winner of the Arizona Ruby Award, was a finalist for the NCAA’s Great Eight Award, and won the 1996 Arizona Women’s Sports Foundation College Athlete of the Year award.

Then-teammate “Angela Bernal says I’m a tiger on the court and a mouse when I come off,” Maes told the Star in 1995. “If she sees me getting frustrated, she goes, ‘Come on, Mouse,’ to remind me that I’m not really like that.” 

10. Jill Smoller 

Years at UA: 1982-1986

Notable achievements:

• 1986 ITA All-American
• Ranked No. 44 in 1986
• Played as part of the No. 14 doubles team in 1986 

9. Michelle Oldham 

Years at UA: 1992-95

Notable achievements:

• Won 1993 NCAA doubles title with Alix Creek
• 1993 and 1994 ITA All-American
• Arizona Hall of Famer
• Part of the No. 8-ranked doubles team in 1993, and No. 20 doubles team in 1994 

8. Michelle Gough 

Years at UA: 1998-2002

Notable achievements:

• 2000 Pac-10 doubles champion
• 2000 Pac-10 Doubles Team of the Year
• Made NCAA tournament in doubles, with Lindsay Blau in 2000, and Sophie Regnier in 2001
• Pac-12 All-Academic first team in 1999, 2000, 2001
• 2000 ITA All-American
• Ranked No. 92 in 2000, No. 95 in 2001
• No. 8 doubles team in 2000, No. 32 in 2001 

7. Banni Redhair 

Years at UA: 1988-92

Notable achievements:

• 1992 ITA All-American
• Ranked No. 39 in 1991, No. 38 in 1992
• No. 23 doubles team in 1991 

6. Dianne Hollands 

Years at UA: 2001-05

Notable achievements:

• 2004 ITA All-American
• 2004 all-conference first team
• 2005 all-conference second team
• Ranked No. 122 in 2002, No. 13 in 2004, No. 44 in 2003, No. 35 in 2005
• Part of No. 4-ranked doubles team (with Maja Mlakar) in 2004, and No. 14 doubles team in 2005 

5. Maja Mlakar 

Years at UA: 2001-2005

Notable achievements:

• 2002 and 2004 ITA All-American
• Ranked No. 17 in 2002, No. 28 in 2003 and No. 70 in 2005
• Part of No. 4-ranked doubles team (with Dianne Hollands) in 2004, and No. 12 doubles team in 2002 

4. Betsy Somerville 

Years at UA: 1984-1988

Notable achievements:

• 1988 ITA All-American
• Ranked No. 40 in 1988
• Won the ITA doubles championship in 1988
• Reached a No. 1 doubles team ranking in 1988 

3. Danielle Scott 

Years at UA: 1988-1992

Notable achievements:

• 1992 Pac-10 doubles champion
• 1992 Pac-10 South all-conference
• 1991 and 1992 All-American
• Ranked No. 10 in 1992, and No. 14 in 1991
• Part of No. 23-ranked doubles team in 1991, and No. 5-ranked doubles team in 1992 

2. Alixandra Creek 

Years at the UA: 1990-93

Notable achievements:

• Pac-10 singles (1992 and ’93) and doubles champion (1992 with Danielle Scott)
• 1992 Pac-12 South all-conference
• 1993 NCAA doubles champion with Michelle Oldham
• 1992 and 1993 ITA All-American
• Arizona Hall of Famer
• Ranked No. 18 in 1992, No. 3 in 1993
• Part of No. 5 doubles team in 1992  

1. Vicky Maes 

Honorable mentions:

• Emilie Scribot (2003)
• Susan Russo (1983-88)
• Karen Goldstein (1994-98)
• Betsy Miringoff (1994-98)
• Lacey Smyth (2010-14)

Click the first photo below to check out the men's tennis edition of the "Perfect 10" series. Click the second photo to check out the gymnastics edition.