WASHINGTON – The George Washington University Department of Athletics has named Jackie Calla as the next Head Coach of GW Women's Tennis. Calla most recently served as the top assistant for Syracuse women's tennis in the Atlantic Coast Conference and has extensive experience developing elite players at the junior, collegiate and professional levels.
 
"I'm beyond thrilled for the opportunity to lead the George Washington tennis program," Calla said. "I'd like to thank President Granberg and AD Michael Lipitz for believing in me to lead our group of incredible student-athletes. GW is a place that possesses all the tools to succeed, and I look forward to putting in the work to help our student-athletes grow on and off the court, not only as tennis players but also as young women, and fostering an environment for continued competitive excellence. I'm immensely grateful to the GW Athletics Leadership Team for the opportunity to build something special in Foggy Bottom."
 
"Jackie has a strong record of developing her players to reach their full potential," said Lipitz. "Her vision for GW women's tennis and her deep international recruiting ties make her an ideal leader for our program. Jackie is also fully committed to the personal growth and academic achievement of her student-athletes, which is important for this squad that recorded the highest GPA in our department for the past three academic years."
 
Calla's tenure at Syracuse spanned two seasons from 2023-25, helping the program achieve 21 wins over her tenure. The Orange earned four wins against ranked opponents in that span, including a victory over eighth-ranked NC State during the 2024 season, the program's first top 10 win in five years. Calla's impact on the program reached far beyond the court, as she helped mentor 12 student-athletes to All-ACC Academic honors, and eight were named to the CSC Academic All-District Team. Calla took a large role in Syracuse's recruiting efforts as well, successfully bringing in and developing top talent both nationally and internationally.
 
On the court, four players received bids to the NCAA Individual Championships during Calla's time with the Orange. Two players advanced to the round of 32 in their respective brackets, winning one match apiece in collegiate tennis' pinnacle event. Over the last two seasons, Syracuse spent 22 weeks ranked in the ITA's top 75 teams nationally, reaching a peak of #32 during that span, while also collecting an ITA regional singles title in 2024. At the conference level, Calla helped mentor one player to an All-ACC selection while seeing her student-athletes collect four ACC weekly awards. The Orange collected 126 dual singles wins and 52 dual doubles victories under her tutelage. 
 
Prior to her time with the Orange, Calla served as the Head Tennis Specialist at Camp Playland during the summer of 2023. She helped develop youth players from ages 3-15 in all aspects of the game, providing customized lessons to over 100 students daily. Her resumé also includes a two-year stint as the tennis professional at Carrollwood Country Club and Hillsborough Community College.
 
During her extensive club and academy experience, Calla specialized in developing players with the goal of pursuing collegiate tennis careers. Her development ranged from players in the early stages of learning the game, all the way up to elite talent in the junior ranks. Specifically, Calla assisted athletes in their technical, tactical, physical and mental development. She also emphasized the value of being a student of the game, giving her athletes the knowledge and skills needed to be independent thinkers on the court, leading with a growth mindset and enjoying the process of development. 
 
As a player, Calla competed with the Amherst women's tennis program. She helped lead the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a national title appearance in 2014. She was named Team MVP following her senior year and was awarded All-NESCAC honors as a singles player. Calla graduated from Amherst in December of 2016 with a bachelor's degree in environmental studies.
 
Following her collegiate career, Calla played professionally on the South American tour, while also training with the Peruvian Fed Cup Team. During that time, she also coached at WestChase, developing top junior players seeking to play at the collegiate level. Calla got her start in recruiting during this time, successfully bringing in top international talent to the program to develop ahead of their collegiate careers.