Mark Goldberg is in his third year as an assistant coach of the New York University men’s and women’s tennis teams.
Last season, the women’s team had one of its best campaigns in program history, thanks to some talented newcomers and solid returners. The Violets posted a 9-4 dual-match record, their most wins since 2006-07, and finished the season ranked #29 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the program’s first-ever national ranking.
Senior Carmen Lai set a new team mark with 20 singles wins, tied the program record with 11 #1 singles victories and notched the second-best single-season win percentage (.869, 20-3) in team annals. Freshman Vanessa Scott’s 16 singles wins were the third-most in a season, while freshman Flyora Shiyanova’s 15 wins were tied for fourth. The duo also finished the season among the all-time leaders in singles winning percentage. Scott's .889 (16-2) mark was the highest in a season in program history, while Shiyanova's .833 (15-3) was third best.
The Violets also had great success in doubles play last season, as junior Laila El Dessouki's 14 wins were tied for the fourth-most in a season, while senior captain Madeline King's seven wins at #3 doubles were tied for the fourth-most all-time. El Dessouki went 3-0 at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship at #4 singles and earned Second Team All-UAA honors.
Last season, Goldberg helped lead the men’s team to a 5-10 overall record and a seventh-place finish at the UAA Championship. NYU players also received numerous accolades, highlighted by junior Matt DeMichiel who was named Second Team All-UAA.
In 2014-15, for the first time in team history, NYU women’s tennis players earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-America honors. El Dessouki and Lai achieved the feat after winning the ITA Northeast Regional Doubles Championship during the fall. The Violet pairing won five matches at the competition, including a three-set victory over the #1 pair from Vassar College in the finals.
In addition to becoming the first NYU women's double pair to ever win an ITA title, El Dessouki and Lai automatically qualified for the United States Tennis Association (USTA)/ITA Small College Championships, where they wound up finishing seventh in the nation.
As a team, the women posted a 5-6 dual-match record in 2014-15, including a seventh-place finish at the UAA Championship.
The men’s team finished with a 4-9 overall record in Goldberg’s first season and took seventh place at the UAA Championship, while several players earned individual recognition. Ian Combemale earned UAA Athlete of the Week, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Player of the Week and Metro Rookie of the Week honors during the season. Sidd Thangirala also received ECAC Metro Player of the Week honors, while Karan Goyal was also tabbed as a UAA Athlete of the Week.
A four-year member of the Lehigh University men’s tennis team, Goldberg served as captain in his senior year. A First Team All-Patriot League honoree as a sophomore, he earned Second Team accolades in each of his other three seasons.
As a junior, Goldberg played #1 singles and led the Mountain Hawks to their first-ever NCAA National Championship appearance. As a freshman, he received the J. Daniel Nolan Award, which is given to the Lehigh’s freshman Male Student Athlete of the Year.
While enrolled at Lehigh, Goldberg worked with Reading Rocks, where he taught reading and basic math skills to local elementary school students, and the Lehigh Tennis Giving Back program, where he served as a tennis instructor tennis to children with disabilities.
A native of Cleveland, OH, Goldberg resides in Manhattan.
