By Bill Sheehan

Last season, the Cal State Fullerton women's tennis team faced serious obstacles from the get-go.

The team had been without a head coach for two months when Ellie Johnson was hired three weeks into the 2024 fall semester. With the players and the coaches all playing catch-up, the Titans lurched to a 10-10 overall record and finished 4-5 in Big West dual meets. They were eliminated by CSUN in the opening round of the conference championship tournament.

"It was challenging for me and the players. It took time to get used to the players and the program. The players were without a coach for two crucial months, and it had an impact on their fitness. We had to load up on practice and play," said Johnson, who previously guided programs at Concordia University Irvine and Westmont College in Santa Barbara.

Fast-forward a year, however, and it's advantage Fullerton. The Titans lead the Big West with a 4-0 record. Overall, they are 11-3 and notched nine straight wins before losing to Sacramento State last week in a non-conference match. Fullerton will get a chance at some payback Friday when they play CSUN at 10 a.m. at Titan Tennis Courts.

"The winning streak was an achievement, but it was even more special that we won in a lot of different ways. We had some dominant matches and some close matches. We won one match on a very windy day. We gained a lot of confidence from those wins," said Johnson, who works with secondyear assistant coach Patrick Tierro.

Fullerton, which has a geographically diverse lineup, has built up momentum this year, said Dana Kunza, a sophomore from Montebello. "Last season, we didn't have a coach in the summer or when school started. This year, we had a strong start, and it has just carried on."

Milena Gevorgyan, a senior who is in her fourth year at Fullerton, cited multiple factors for the turnaround. "We are all very talented and are in a groove and a rhythm. And we have good team depth. The players are very close and trust each other. That deep connection is a key element that will help us going down the stretch. That extends to Coach Ellie, who is an amazing human being. She is very kind and understanding, said Gevorgyan, who hails from Vagharshapat, Armenia

Seha Yu, a junior from Wonju, Gangwon-do, South Korea, agreed that the team chemistry is excellent. "It's easy to have drama with a lot of girls. We have a good connection, communicate well, have fun and understand each other really well. The coaches listen to how we feel and what we want to do. They are always willing to help us improve and get better," said Yu, who is in her third year as a Titan.

The Titans will close out its regular season with a road trip to Long Beach State and home matches against Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara and Hawaii. None is expected to be easy.

"Toward the end of the season, everyone is physically and mentally tired. If we push ourselves and fight for every single point, that will help a lot," said junior Emilie Lugon-Moulin, a midseason transfer last year from Concordia University.

"We have a lot of fighters. We have players who will lose the first set and still win. They are really good at coming back. We need to keep the same mindset," said Lugon-Moulin, who is from Leysin, Switzerland and has dual Swiss-U.S. citizenship.


"If we push ourselves and fight for every single point, that will help a lot," says junior Emilie Lugon-Moulin.

Three transfer students and a freshman round out Fullerton's roster. Junior Martina Markov (Washington State) and seniors Chloe and Madison Schwarz (Western Carolina), who are identical twins, transferred in last fall. Markov is from Ingelheim, Germany, and the Schwarz twins are from Adelaide, Australia. The lone freshman is Amelia Zylberman, who hails from Melbourne, Australia.

A closer look at the Titans, with comments from Johnson and the individual players:

Martina Markov (9-3 in singles, 4-7 in doubles) has been playing No. 1 singles. She grew up competing on clay courts and was coached by her father, a former professional tennis player. Johnson: "Martina has a ton of variety in her game, and her technique is as good as it gets." Markov: "I love Roger Federer, and my father made my technique like Federer's. I think he did a pretty good job."

Emilie Lugon-Moulin (9-3, 5-5) usually plays No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles with Chloe Schwarz. Johnson: "Emilie has developed more aggressive play and is taking advantage of her forehand down the line. Lugon-Moulin: "This is my first year playing Division 1 and I'm really happy how it is going so far. Being a lefthander helps a lot. Spin, rotation and direction are all different when you play a lefthander."

Amelia Zylberman (10-3, 5-4) operates at No. 3 singles. Johnson: "Amelia is an all-court player who is good at finding opportunities to attack. She works well at the net." Zylberman: "I started playing at age 4 or 5 after watching tennis on TV. There was a court down the road, and I started taking lesson. I became obsessed with tennis."

Seha Yu (8-5, 4-7) is a regular in the No. 4 singles spot. She was All-Big West Second Team in singles last season. Johnson: "Seha is very steady from the baseline and has been incorporating drop shots. She pushes players back with her swing volleys." Yu: "It took a while to get used to the coaches and players cheering during a match. I wasn't used to that. I'm more relaxed out there now."

Milena Gevorgyan (9-3, 8-5) has performed at No. 5 singles. Johnson: "Milena is a strong baseliner who has really developed her first serve." Gevorgyan: "Knowing I'm a senior and whatever I do is for the last time, I do it with more enjoyment. Instead of being nervous, I'm playing with joy and satisfaction."

Chloe Schwarz (6-4, 5-4) has been playing at No. 6 singles and No. 1 doubles. She and her twin, Madison, both played Australian Rules Football, also known as "footy." Johnson: "Chloe is strong at the baseline. She looks for opportunities to attack, especially on returns." Schwarz: "I've been moving inside the baseline and trying to be more aggressive. In doubles, I try to finish points with volleys. Footy has really helped Madison and I with our fitness, stamina and ability to change directions quickly."

Madison Schwarz (0-0, 3-1) has appeared in doubles. Johnson: "Maddie has super-athletic fitness. She has a strong forehand and moves around the court well." Schwarz: "I was an 800-meter runner in addition to playing footy. Both helped with my speed and endurance. I've enjoyed playing doubles with Milena. We have great coaches, and everyone is very supportive of each other."

Dana Kunza (2-0, 0-0) has performed in singles. Johnson: "Dana has a very good serve and can overpower players. She has a good combination of strength and power. Kunza: "I'm trying to improve my strategy. I want to be faster on my feet and be more consistent on my first serves."

A graduate of Concordia University Irvine, Johnson was a four-year starter at the school. After graduation, Johnson completed a master's degree in coaching and athletic administration and served as the assistant women's tennis coach at Concordia. She has also served as a tennis teaching pro at the Woodbridge Tennis Academy.

"I made good use of a gap year as a grad assistant at Concordia," said Johnson. "I enjoyed coaching and landed my first head coaching job [at Westmont College] as a 23-year-old. It was a dream job." She spent six seasons at Westmont before serving one year as Concordia's head coach.

Her favorite aspect to coaching is the development of young people on and off the court. "When a college players come in, we work on their technique. But it's also about tactics and strategy. Doubles play requires a lot more technical coaching."

"Helping student-athletes develop off the court is a big responsibility, but I find a lot of satisfaction fulfilling that role."

SUPPORT THE TITANS!
Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitansTickets.com. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan House off of Gymnasium Drive at the eastern end of the Intramural Fields and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday.

FOLLOW THE TITANS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), X (@FullertonTitans) Instagram (@FullertonTitans), YouTube (FullertonTitansAthletics) and TikTok (@FullertonTitans) In addition, the women's tennis team has established its own Twitter (@FullertonWTEN), and Instagram accounts (@fullertonwten).

WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+
Titans fans can now watch every home event exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for all games at Titan Stadium. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference games