Lexington, Ky. – The Transylvania women's tennis team announced the addition of Ashley Jonathan to its coaching staff as an assistant coach.

"Ashley Jonathan is a great tennis player and an even better person," stated Transylvania women's tennis head coach Bill Carey. "I was fortunate enough to coach her very briefly in her exceptional collegiate career during my time at Bellarmine and am thrilled to have her join the coaching staff. Not only does she have a great deal of knowledge, technically and tactically, but her mental approach to the game as well as her perspective on how to be a successful student-athlete will make her an invaluable asset to the team."

"I am excited and honored to share my tennis skills and knowledge with the student-athletes at Transylvania University," added Jonathan. "I believe it takes strong technical, mental, and strategic prowess to improve yourself and win the game of tennis. I am eager to improve my skills of coaching because I believe, even as a teacher, you can always learn new ways to enhance your tennis game."

Jonathan commences her coaching endeavor with the Pioneers following a storied career as a student-athlete for Bellarmine University in nearby Louisville. A 2020 National ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award winner, Jonathan competed for the Knights through their transition from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I play.

During her four-year career for Bellarmine from 2016 through 2020, Jonathan set the standard on the court, becoming the seventh player in program history to achieve 100 career wins while playing number one doubles and number one, two, and three singles through the entirety of her college career. With 13 matches cancelled in her final season as a Knight due to the pandemic, Jonathan finished just six matches shy of becoming the all-time wins leader at Bellarmine between the men's and women's tennis teams.

Jonathan excelled as a student-athlete during her time at Bellarmine, earning Most Outstanding Player honors in 2020 and 2017, All-GLVC First Team honors in 2019 and 2018, the John T. Loftus award for Academic and Athletic Excellence in 2019, and was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for all four years. Making the Dean's List every semester while she was in college, Jonathan graduated from Bellarmine in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Psychology.

"Although my college tennis season was cut short due to the pandemic, I plan to enjoy this lifelong sport of tennis, especially through this incredible opportunity to coach these women at Transylvania," commented Jonathan. "I'm grateful for this chance to impact other students' collegiate careers."

Jonathan has also previously served as a tennis coach at Zionsville Community High School in 2019 and has coached individual players ranging in ages five to 25.

The Nobelsville, Indiana native joins the defending Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Pioneer women's tennis team for the upcoming 2021-22 season as the Pioneers aim for their third consecutive HCAC Tournament crown.

For more on Transylvania women's tennis, follow @TransyWTennis on Twitter