CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Conference Regular-Season Titles: 1 (2015)
- Conference Coach of the Year: 1 (2015)
- 2015 Big South Coach of the Year
- 2015 Big South Regular-Season Champions
The 2024-25 season marked Catherine Hewitt's 14th year as the head coach of the Coastal Carolina women's tennis team.
Over her 14 years at CCU, the Chanticleers have posted 12 winning seasons, 13 double-digit win seasons, and finished above .500 in conference play 11 times, including winning the regular-season conference championship in 2015. Coastal has also been named an ITA All-Academic Team (3.2 GPA or higher) all 13 years under Hewitt and has received the annual academic honor every year since 1999.
In 2025, the Chanticleers posted an overall record of 10–11, including a 4–6 mark in Sun Belt Conference play, finishing 10th in the league. Coastal’s No. 1 singles player, Anna Babayan, earned her 100th career win against ULM on March 23 and was named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team. Freshman Brunelle Kouam led the team with a 14–3 singles record and a 12–6 mark in doubles.
CCU suffered a first-round loss to the Troy Trojans in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament but had four student-athletes in Anna Babayan, Nicole Abel, Katya Hersh, and Aida Mitrache named to the 2025 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Women's Tennis Academic All-District Team.
During the 2024 spring season, the Women in Teal went 14-9 overall and 7-4 in Sun Belt Conference play, while boasting a 9-2 record at the Lynn Stevens Tennis Complex. Coastal had one student-athlete, Jesse Hollins, earn postseason accolades after being named to the All-Sun Belt second team. The Chanticleers reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 Sun Belt Women's Tennis Championship Tournament after sweeping Southern Miss, 4-0, but their season came to an end against No. 4-seed South Alabama.
Over the 2023 spring season, the Chanticleers posted a 17-8 overall record and went 8-3 in conference play on the season. The Chants ran off 12-straight dual match wins from Feb. 20 to March 26, which included wins over No. 68 Liberty, Campbell, Longwood, UNCG, and Mount St. Mary's, and conference wins over Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, and Texas State during that stretch.
The 17 overall dual match wins were the most over a spring season since 2017-18, while the eight regular-season conference wins were the most for the Chants in a single season since joining the Sun Belt in 2016-17.
Coastal posted 10 wins at home on the season, going 10-3 overall at the Lynn Stevens Tennis Complex, which included nine consecutive wins at home from March 5 to March 26.
Coastal had four Chants garner Sun Belt Conference postseason honors, as Anna Babayan was named the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Player to Watch while Tatum Burger was tabbed the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Co-Newcomer of the Year. Babayan was also named to the All-Sun Belt second team for singles play and was joined on the team by teammate Victoire De Samucewicz. De Samucewicz was also named to the All-Sun Belt second team doubles play along with her partner Jesse Hollins.
CCU's Megan Hopton and Babayan earned back-to-back Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week honors on March 15 and March 22, respectively, while three Chants in Hopton, Babyan, and Lilie Steryous were named to the 2023 CSC Women's Tennis Academic All-District team for their work in the classroom.
In the 2022 spring season, the Chanticleers posted a 13-9 overall record and went 7-3 in Sun Belt Conference play for the second-straight year. The Chanticleers placed fourth overall in the Sun Belt Conference regular-season standings and advanced to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Championship Tournament for the second consecutive year.
The 13-9 dual match record marked the ninth consecutive winning season for the Chanticleers overall and was highlighted by an 8-4 record at home at the Lynn Stevens Tennis Complex.
Coastal had two student-athletes garner conference postseason honors in 2022, as De Samucewicz was named to the All-Sun Belt second team for singles play and joined Hollins on the All-Sun Belt second team for doubles play. Both De Samucewicz and Hollins, as well as Babayan, all earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week honors throughout the spring season.
Over the 2021 spring slate, which saw teams across the country navigate through the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, Hewitt led her team to a 14-7 overall dual match record, marking the eighth-straight winning season for the Chanticleers on the hard courts. Highlighting the season was a six-matching winning streak from Feb. 4 to March 7 and Sun Belt Conference wins over Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Troy, and Appalachian State as CCU went 7-3 in Sun Belt Conference play.
At the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Championships in Peachtree City, Ga., the Chanticleers posted a 4-0 win over No. 2 – West Louisiana in the quarterfinals round on to move on to the semifinals. The win was the first victory for the Chanticleers in the Sun Belt Women's Championship Tournament, as CCU lost in the first round of the conference championship event in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Seniors Somer Dalla-Bona and Jessie Mount, as well as sophomore De Samucewicz, picked up 2021 Sun Belt All-Conference honors, as Dalla-Bona was named to the All-Sun Belt first team in singles and joined her doubles playing partner Mount on the All-Sun Belt second team for doubles. Transfer De Samucewicz earned All-Sun Belt second team accolades for singles play.
Playing at the top spot in singles action all season long, Dalla-Bona was a two-time Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week (Feb. 3 and Feb. 17), the only player to earn the weekly award twice this season. She went 9-4 overall in singles play on the year, including going 2-2 in SBC play at the top spot.
The senior duo of Dalla-Bona and Mount earned second-team All-Sun Belt recognition for doubles, as they went 9-6 overall as a doubles pair over the spring season, posting a team-high in wins. The tandem went 9-6 overall at the No. 1 doubles flight on the season, including going 6-2 in Sun Belt Conference play. Their 6-2 conference record as a team at the No. 1 spot was near the top of the conference, while the six SBC wins at the No. 1 spot was second overall in the league. The duo also posted wins at No. 1 over Clemson (6-3) and Charlotte (7-6) outside of conference play.
First-year Chant De Samucewicz picked up second-team honors for her stellar season in which she made an immediate impact on the hard court in 2021. The sophomore posted an overall singles record of 11-2 and a doubles record of 11-5. Both her 11 wins in singles and doubles play on the year were second on the team.
Again, the Chanticleers were stellar in the classroom for 2020-21, posting a team grade-point average of 3.622 overall for the academic year which was the third-highest among all 19 sponsored athletic teams. The team was once again named an ITA All-Academic Team, marking the 23rd consecutive year in which the Chants have received this academic team recognition.
In what was a unique season in 2019-20 as the spring slate was just getting started when it was abruptly canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Chants were off to a 6-3 start in dual match action in the spring season, which included back-to-back 7-0 shutout wins over Charleston Southern and UNC Greensboro, as well as four-straight dual match victories over Wofford, St. John's, East Carolina, and Keiser University before the season ended.
Overall, the Chants combined to post a 32-17 dual match record in singles play over the nine dual matches led by Flaminia Scara's team-high seven individual wins, just one ahead of Valentina Urelli's six victories. In doubles action. the team of Mount and Dalla-Bona led the way at 6-1 at the No. 1 doubles spot.
The team also continued its high rate of off-court success as it led all Coastal Carolina athletic programs in combined team GPA for the fourth-straight academic year in 2019-20. The team also was named an ITA All-Academic Team for the 22nd consecutive year.
Hewitt led the Chanticleers through their first "full" Sun Belt Conference schedule in spring 2019 as Coastal played 10 conference matches compared to the five and four conference matches played in the previous two seasons, respectively. Coastal finished its spring slate third in the Sun Belt with a 7-3 conference record to accompany its 14-9 overall record, making it the sixth-straight winning season for the program.
A quartet of Chants were awarded 2019 Sun Belt postseason honors including Newcomer of the Year honors for Jennifer Brown and Player to Watch honors for Dalla-Bona. Dalla-Bona was additionally named to the All-Sun Belt first team in singles play, while Brown and Viktorija Demcenkova landed on the second team. In doubles, Brown and partner Mount were voted first-team All-Sun Belt. The team also continued its high rate of success in the classroom as it led all Coastal Carolina athletic programs in combined team GPA for the third-straight academic year. The team also was named an ITA All-Academic Team for the 21st-straight year.
Hewitt led the Chants to a 16-7 overall record and a third-place finish in the Sun Belt Conference in 2017-18. Coastal also made its first appearance in the Sun Belt Championship quarterfinals round that season. Hewitt guided five of the nine student-athletes on that season's roster to All-Sun Belt honors, the most to earn postseason honors since taking over the program in 2011-12. Vardanian was named Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year in addition to picking up first-team honors in singles and doubles, while Natalie Wall, Sara Bondar, and Dalla-Bona all earned first-team accolades in doubles play. Rylie Cox was voted second-team in singles. The team's success in the classroom continued as the Chant netters led all Coastal Carolina athletic programs in combined team GPA for the second-straight academic year and was tabbed an ITA All-Academic Team for the 20th consecutive year.
The Chanticleers began a new era of women's tennis in the spring of 2017 as Coastal completed its first season of competition in the Sun Belt Conference. Hewitt led the Chants to a 15-7 overall record and was 1-3 in matches against its new conference opponents. Coastal's first Sun Belt victory came against Appalachian State on March 25 as the Chants shut out the Mountaineers 4-0. Coastal earned the fifth seed in its first Sun Belt Championship and fell to fourth-seeded Troy in the tournament's opening round. Hewitt coached Cox to Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors, while Marie Babayan was an all-conference selection in singles play. Off the court, the women's tennis team led all Coastal athletic programs with a 3.86 combined GPA and was named an ITA All-Academic Team for the 19th-straight year.
Hewitt's fifth season at the helm in 2016 saw the Chants finish 18-7 overall. Coastal's 7-2 record against Big South opponents earned the Chants a third-place finish in their final season of competition in the conference while the last trip through the conference tournament resulted in a semifinal loss to a nationally-ranked Winthrop team. Hewitt had four of her student-athletes voted All-Big South as Libby Scott and Bondar were first team selections, Romane Delay was a second team pick, and Babayan was named to the league's all-academic team. Again, the Chants were recognized for their work off the courts and in the classroom, picking up ITA All-Academic Team recognition for the 18th consecutive year.
Hewitt's fourth season as the head of the Chanticleers in 2014-15 saw Coastal win a share of the Big South regular-season championship title after closing the spring with a 16-6 overall record and an 8-1 mark against Big South opponents. The Chants earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament where they advanced to the championship match for the second time under Hewitt's direction, before eventually falling to top-seeded Charleston Southern. The 2014-15 campaign was highlighted by a 12-match win streak that spanned over a month of the regular season and saw several Chants awarded individual honors. Hewitt herself was named the 2015 Big South Coach of the Year for the first time in her career, while Scott and Honami Yazawa were named all-conference in singles play. Hewitt also guided the Chanticleer doubles pairing of Scott and Babayan to a national doubles ranking of No. 89 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Additionally, the Chants were honored as an ITA All-Academic Team for the 17th consecutive year.
The 2013-14 season saw Hewitt lead the Chanticleers to the 20th Big South Conference Championship semifinal appearance in the program's history. Under Hewitt's direction, the Chants wrapped up the season with an 18-7 overall record and a 5-4 record against Big South opponents. Hewitt additionally coached three All-Big South players, including the 2014 Big South Freshman of the Year Honami Yazawa, and the 2014 Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Christenberry Award winner Dominique de Wit. The Chants were again recognized as an ITA All-Academic Team, marking the 16th-straight season.
In the 2012-13 season, Hewitt led the Chants to a 10-10 overall record and 5-4 conference record in the regular season before falling to Liberty 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Big South Championship Tournament. Under Hewitt's direction, Scott was named the 2013 Big South Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Coastal player to receive the award since 2000. Additionally, the Chants were honored as an ITA All-Academic Team for the 15th consecutive year.
In her first season at the helm of the program in 2011-12, Hewitt led the Chants to an impressive 18-6 overall record and a berth in the Big South Conference Championship Tournament where they fell 4-0 to Winthrop to finish the season second in the Big South. The Chants continued their success in the classroom under Hewitt, as they were honored as an ITA All-Academic Team for the 14th consecutive year.
Hewitt, a Conway, S.C. native, was named the head women's tennis coach in July of 2011, taking over the reins of the Chanticleers' program after three-plus years as the director of tennis at Spring Valley Country Club in Columbia, S.C. She replaced Jody Davis, who retired from coaching after 15 seasons as head coach of the Chanticleers.
While serving as director of tennis at Spring Valley Country, Hewitt was responsible for all operations of the tennis club, including the instruction of members of all skill levels and coaching of junior teams.
Prior to accepting the position at Spring Valley, she was the head teaching professional at the Topspin Racquet & Swim Club in Lexington, S.C. As the head teaching professional, Hewitt engaged in substantial teaching responsibilities with tennis students of all ages and ability levels and implemented the successful Cardio TennisTM program.
Hewitt is a member of the Professional Tennis Registry and holds professional level certification through the United States Professional Tennis Association. As a member of the United States Tennis Association in South Carolina, she has served as a member of the Tennis Professional Committee.
During her playing career, she helped guide the South Carolina Gamecocks to a No. 11 national ranking in 2000 and a Southeastern Conference championship finals appearance in 2001. Prior to playing collegiately, Hewitt was named the 1998 South Carolina Junior Player of the Year after winning the 1998 Wachovia Palmetto singles championship.
Hewitt received her undergraduate degree in sport and entertainment management from the University of South Carolina in 2003.
Hewitt's Career Head Coaching Record
14 Seasons at Coastal Carolina
Overall: 199-106 (.653)
Conference: 75-40 (.652)
Big South (2012-16): 31-13 (.704)
Sun Belt (2017-present): 44-27 (.620)
| Year |
School
|
Overall |
Conference
|
Regular Season |
Conference Tournament |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2012 |
Coastal Carolina |
18-6 |
6-2 |
2nd |
Championship |
--- |
| 2013 |
Coastal Carolina |
10-10 |
5-4 |
5th |
Quarterfinals |
--- |
| 2014 |
Coastal Carolina |
18-7 |
5-4 |
5th |
Semifinals |
--- |
| 2015 |
Coastal Carolina |
16-6 |
8-1 |
Champion |
Championship |
--- |
| 2016 |
Coastal Carolina |
18-7 |
7-2 |
3rd |
Semifinals |
--- |
| 2017 |
Coastal Carolina |
15-7 |
1-3 |
5th |
First Round |
--- |
| 2018 |
Coastal Carolina |
16-7 |
3-2 |
3rd |
Quarterfinals |
--- |
| 2019 |
Coastal Carolina |
14-9 |
7-3 |
3rd |
Quarterfinals |
--- |
| 2020* |
Coastal Carolina |
6-3 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 2021 |
Coastal Carolina |
14-7 |
7-3 |
T-3rd |
Semifinals |
--- |
| 2022 |
Coastal Carolina |
13-9 |
7-3 |
4th |
Semifinals |
--- |
| 2023 |
Coastal Carolina |
17-8 |
8-3 |
T-3rd |
Quarterfinals |
--- |
| 2024 |
Coastal Carolina |
14-9 |
7-4 |
5th |
Quarterfinals |
--- |
| 2025 |
Coastal Carolina |
10-11 |
4-6 |
10th |
First Round |
- |
|
TOTALS |
199-106 |
75-40 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
*
season was canceled on March 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic
