Updated August 2025
A 12-time (1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024) NEWMAC Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year and the 2018 ITA Division III National Coach of the Year, Carol Matsuzaki enters her 28th season as the head coach of the MIT women’s tennis program in 2025-26. The winningest coach in MIT women’s tennis history, she has a career dual match record of 352-137 and was named as the ITA Northeast Regional Coach of the Year in 2007, 2018, and 2024.
In 2024-25, MIT captured the program's 14th NEWMAC Championship and advanced to the NCAA Regional Championship for the sixth consecutive season. First-year Fiona Lee advanced to the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship, resulting in the program's 16th All-America Singles award.
During the 2023-24 season, the Engineers hosted the NCAA Regional for the third straight season and claimed the program's 13th all-time NEWMAC Championship. MIT finished the year with a 17-4 record and advanced to the NCAA Regional Championship. First-year Katya Shepherd Johnson advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championship and collected the program's the 15th All-America Singles honor.
In the 2022-23 season, the team hosted the NCAA Regional for the second straight season and claimed the program's 12th all-time NEWMAC Championship. The Engineers earned the team's highest national ranking in program history as the team was ranked No. 3 in the country after placing a program-record third at ITA Indoor Nationals. Finishing with a 16-4 overall record and a spot in the NCAA Sweet 16, Sarah Pertsemlidis and Jessica Lu advanced to the NCAA Doubles Championship, while Pertsemlidis earned her second-straight appearance in the singles championship. Pertsemlidis won a pair of matches to advance to the quarterfinals and earn her second-straight All-American honor, followed by being named as the ITA Senior National Player of the Year.
In the 2021-22 season, the team hosted the NCAA Regional for the first time in program history and finished with a program-best 20-2 overall record. The team advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the fourth time, claimed the NEWMAC Championship title and finished the year ranked No. 6 in the country. Pertsemlidis and Kimberly Liao advanced to the NCAA Singles Championship, while Liao and Yuka Perera were selected to the NCAA Doubles Championship. In addition, Pertsemlidis became the first player in MIT to advance to the NCAA Semifinals and she was named as a singles All-American, while Perera and Liao earned All-American doubles honors.
In 2019-20, the Engineers posted a 3-2 overall mark as the spring season was cancelled to the Covid-19 pandemic. Matsuzaki's squad competed at the ITA Indoor National Championship for the second straight season and earned a pair of wins over nationally-ranked opponents overall. The squad finished the year ranked No. 9 in the nation for the third straight season.
In the 2018-19 season, Matsuzaki guided the Engineers to the program's second-straight NCAA Elite Eight after recording an 18-4 overall record. The team captured its 10th NEWMAC Tournament title after a perfect NEWMAC regular season and finished the year ranked No. 9 in the country. In 2017-18, the Engineers posted a 20-3 final record, while Elysa Kohrs and Libby Rickeman both advanced into the NCAA Singles Championship and together, the duo earned a spot in the NCAA Doubles Championship. This was the third NCAA appearance for Kohrs, while it was the first for Rickeman. Matsuzaki also coached Dora Tzeng to an appearance in the NCAA Championships in 2016, while Lauren Quisenberry advanced in both 2011 and 2013.
Matsuzaki led the Engineers to the program’s first Elite Eight in the 2014-15 season as the team won the NEWMAC regular-season crown before winning three straight NCAA matches to move into the National Quarterfinals.
Matsuzaki graduated from MIT in 1995 with a degree in biology. She captained the varsity women’s tennis team her senior year and was the NEW 8 Conference Athlete of the Year in 1995. She was ranked as high as #46 in the country in singles and #21 in the country in doubles, as well as playing on a team ranked #11 in the country. In addition to varsity tennis, she played on the varsity men’s squash team and was a two-time qualifier for the national individual women’s tournament.
Matsuzaki received her graduate degree in sports psychology from Boston University in 1997. In 2004, she authored the book “Tennis Fundamentals”. Part of Human Kinetics’ Sports Fundamentals series, “Tennis Fundamentals” teaches the basic skills and tactics to help readers participate in the sport quickly.
