Sandy Kriezel Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach 6th year Chico State '78

Email: sskriezel@csupomona.edu
Phone: (909) 869-2830

When it comes to talking, teaching and promoting tennis, it’s hard to imagine a more tireless proponent of the sport than Sandy Kriezel.

Kriezel, now in her sixth year as the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Cal Poly Pomona, is active locally and nationally promoting the sport and her background includes many notable achievements. She is a member of two tennis Hall of Fames, is on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's ranking committee and is coming off a successful 2003 season in which she was named the CCAA Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year for a second straight year and the ITA West Region Coach of the Year as well. She has also served on the women’s ITA awards committee for three years and is the NCAA Division II Regional Advisory Chair until September of 2004.

Kriezel’s fifth season with Cal Poly Pomona was a huge success. She was the CCAA Coach of the Year in women’s tennis for a second straight season after guiding the Broncos to their first conference title since 1998. The Broncos were undefeated in eight regular-season dual matches and then breezed through the conference tournament. In all, the Broncos won those 11 CCAA matches by a combined score of 78-10. Cal Poly Pomona then hosted one of two NCAA Division II West Regionals and dropped a heartbreaking 5-4 decision to Hawaii Pacific in the second round.

Five Bronco players earned All-CCAA honors, which was the highest number of all-conference awards since 1998.

The championship came on the heels of a strong turnaround season in 2002 when the Broncos finished third in the CCAA and compiled a 19-6 record and recorded their most wins since 1994.

The Bronco men have also enjoyed tremendous success under Kriezel’s direction. Cal Poly Pomona has recorded 11 straight winning seasons and finished last season with a 13-8 record and a national ranking of 26. In 2002, the Broncos went 13-7, which was their best record since 1997.

Kriezel continues to focus on maintaining the tradition of winning and good sportsmanship that have been trademarks of Cal Poly Pomona tennis for the past 24 years. After serving as an assistant coach at Cal Poly Pomona for three seasons, Kriezel was named the head coach on Oct. 1, 1998.

In her five years as the head coach, the Bronco men have compiled a 60-41 mark, while the women have gone 56-48.

Before coming to Cal Poly Pomona, Kriezel was an assistant coach at Pomona-Pitzer for one season in 1995. She then spent three seasons as an assistant coach for Dr. Ann Lebedeff from 1996-98. The Broncos won championships in women’s tennis in two of her three seasons as assistant coach.

As a player, Kriezel enjoyed great success. She spent a pair of seasons competing for Chaffey College, where she was the team captain in 1973 and ’74. She played No. 1 singles and doubles. In 2001, Kriezel was inducted into Chaffey College’s Hall of Fame.

After Chaffey College, Kriezel went on to Chico State, where she also starred as the team’s No. 1 singles player. Kriezel was the Northern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s No. 1 player in singles and was part of the No. 1 doubles team as well. She earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education from Chico State in 1978. Kriezel was inducted into Chico State’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.

In 2001, Kriezel also began serving as co-host of a local cable television program called, “Tennis Tips.” Episodes highlighted rules, strategies and hot topics relating to tennis. She was also a featured speaker at the USPTA state-wide convention in 2001.

For more information on Cal Poly Pomona women's tennis, please direct e-mail to sskriezel@csupomona.edu