By Marty Gordon
The Virginia Tech women’s tennis team has announced the signing of one of the top players in the state, and when coaches look across the court, they will see a very familiar face. Kirsten Woods is a standout player from Christiansburg and the daughter of current Tech tennis coach Terry Ann Zawacki-Holdren.
Woods joins the Hokies as a four-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.com, ranking as high as no. 2 in Virginia and top-70 nationally.
Woods has won two L2 national opens and four L3 national opens. She was a doubles quarterfinalist at the 2023 Eddie Herr International Championships and was awarded the National Sportsmanship award at the UTSA clay court championships in 2021.
“I really want to make a difference in the Virginia Tech program and really improve my mental stability on the court and confidence. I really look forward to developing my game and being a part of a team environment,” Woods said.
Terry Ann Zawacki-Holdren is in her 20th year of running the Tech program. She has guided Tech to two NCAA Tournament appearances, and the Hokies advanced to the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Zawacki-Holdren has produced eight nationally ranked singles players, four nationally ranked doubles teams and seven All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) selections.
Zawacki-Holdren, herself, was a two-time All-American at Wake Forest, leading the Demon Deacons to three ACC finals and three top-15 finishes nationally. As a student-athlete, Zawacki-Holdren was Wake’s first tennis player to land on the All-ACC list four years in a row and was the first to compete in the NCAA Singles Championships. She went on to compete at the NCAA Singles Championships for four straight years, playing in the No. 1 spot her entire collegiate career.
Woods said her mother as a coach was one of the reasons she chose Virginia Tech. “I really love the team environment and we have such great facilities. I truly think my mom is one of the best coaches I could compete for and put my trust into. I also heavily love the beauty of campus and the fact Virginia Tech is a part of the ACC conference and is a bigger school as well,” she said.
Having her mom as her coach will really not be anything different than what she has experienced for the past few years, it just steps it up a notch.
“My mom has always been my coach throughout my whole life so I do not see it being much different besides the fact I will have two more assistant coaches working with her as well. But now, she’ll see me more as her player instead of her daughter on the court and during practices and competition. So, I’m ready to be competitive and tough out there,” Woods said.
For now, Woods says her major is undecided but is leaning toward psychology.
