Eastern Michigan Athletics
Elina Ivanova Joins Eastern Michigan Tennis Staff
8/11/2026 10:06:00 AM | Tennis
Former Findlay player will serve as a graduate assistant coach under her college coach
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Elina Ivanova has joined the Eastern Michigan University tennis program as its graduate assistant coach, Head Coach Jeff Westmeyer announced today, Aug. 11. Ivanova comes to Ypsilanti after one season as a graduate assistant at the University of Illinois-Springfield and a playing career at the University of Findlay under Westmeyer.
"I had the privilege of being Elina's coach for four years when she was a player, where she set school records for most wins at Findlay, so I know her very well," Westmeyer said. "I've been impressed by her growth as a coach since she completed her playing career and started coaching. Elina is very competitive, she is dedicated, conscientious, and always looking to learn and become a better coach. I'm thrilled Elina is joining our staff."
"I'm very grateful for the opportunity to join the Eastern Michigan program," Ivanova said. "I'm looking forward to coaching the student-athletes and working alongside Jeff, who played a significant role in my development as a student-athlete during my collegiate career. After coaching at the Division II level last year, I'm excited to take the next step in my coaching career and contribute to the success of the EMU tennis program."
During the 2025-26 season, Ivanova served as a graduate assistant coach at UIS and worked with both the women's and men's programs as the staff facilitated a remarkable turnaround. Both Prairie Stars teams improved by seven wins over their respective 2024-25 campaigns as the men went 7-11 after posting a 0-12 mark the year prior while the women improved to 8-12 after a 1-11 season. Ivanova worked with a pair of all-conference honorees throughout the season as Cristina Mendoza Romero (women) and Pablo Herrera (men) were both named All-GVLC First Team selections.
As a student-athlete, Ivanova competed under Westmeyer at Findlay from 2021-25 where she helped the Oilers earn a top 10 national ranking among NCAA Division II programs. Playing at the top of the lineup in singles and doubles for UF, she captured a program-record 148 combined wins while setting the standard for career singles wins with 64 and doubles wins with 84. Ranked as high as No. 43 nationally and No. 12 regionally in singles, Ivanova also was a member of a doubles tandem that ranked No. 32 nationally and No. 9 in the region.
Throughout her career, she collected four all-conference honors, including being selected to the first team three times and the second team once. Her play helped the Oilers capture the 2024 G-MAC Championship and reach the NCAA Midwest Region Tournament four times.
Prior to her time at Findlay, Ivanova, who has also coached padel, climbed as high as No. 57 in the Russian U18 national tennis rankings. She reached numerous singles and doubles tennis finals and captured titles in both at Russian national tournaments as well.
Elina Ivanova File
Full Name: Elina Ivanova
Hometown: Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
High School: Gymnasium 50
College: University of Findlay • Computer Science, 2021
Coaching Experience
Year: Organization • Position • Notes
2026-pre: Eastern Michigan University • Graduate Assistant Coach
2025-26: University of Illinois-Springfield • Graduate Assistant Coach (Men & Women)
Follow Us
For all things EMU Tennis, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMUEaglesTennis on Twitter and EMU_Tennis on Instagram.
"I had the privilege of being Elina's coach for four years when she was a player, where she set school records for most wins at Findlay, so I know her very well," Westmeyer said. "I've been impressed by her growth as a coach since she completed her playing career and started coaching. Elina is very competitive, she is dedicated, conscientious, and always looking to learn and become a better coach. I'm thrilled Elina is joining our staff."
"I'm very grateful for the opportunity to join the Eastern Michigan program," Ivanova said. "I'm looking forward to coaching the student-athletes and working alongside Jeff, who played a significant role in my development as a student-athlete during my collegiate career. After coaching at the Division II level last year, I'm excited to take the next step in my coaching career and contribute to the success of the EMU tennis program."
During the 2025-26 season, Ivanova served as a graduate assistant coach at UIS and worked with both the women's and men's programs as the staff facilitated a remarkable turnaround. Both Prairie Stars teams improved by seven wins over their respective 2024-25 campaigns as the men went 7-11 after posting a 0-12 mark the year prior while the women improved to 8-12 after a 1-11 season. Ivanova worked with a pair of all-conference honorees throughout the season as Cristina Mendoza Romero (women) and Pablo Herrera (men) were both named All-GVLC First Team selections.
As a student-athlete, Ivanova competed under Westmeyer at Findlay from 2021-25 where she helped the Oilers earn a top 10 national ranking among NCAA Division II programs. Playing at the top of the lineup in singles and doubles for UF, she captured a program-record 148 combined wins while setting the standard for career singles wins with 64 and doubles wins with 84. Ranked as high as No. 43 nationally and No. 12 regionally in singles, Ivanova also was a member of a doubles tandem that ranked No. 32 nationally and No. 9 in the region.
Throughout her career, she collected four all-conference honors, including being selected to the first team three times and the second team once. Her play helped the Oilers capture the 2024 G-MAC Championship and reach the NCAA Midwest Region Tournament four times.
Prior to her time at Findlay, Ivanova, who has also coached padel, climbed as high as No. 57 in the Russian U18 national tennis rankings. She reached numerous singles and doubles tennis finals and captured titles in both at Russian national tournaments as well.
Elina Ivanova File
Full Name: Elina Ivanova
Hometown: Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
High School: Gymnasium 50
College: University of Findlay • Computer Science, 2021
Coaching Experience
Year: Organization • Position • Notes
2026-pre: Eastern Michigan University • Graduate Assistant Coach
2025-26: University of Illinois-Springfield • Graduate Assistant Coach (Men & Women)
Follow Us
For all things EMU Tennis, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMUEaglesTennis on Twitter and EMU_Tennis on Instagram.
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