Alexandra Starkova was named Lamar University head women’s tennis coach in May 2026 after building a nationally ranked powerhouse at Louisiana Christian University.
Starkova takes over the Cardinals program after a four-year stint at LCU where she guided the Wildcats top 25 finishes in the NAIA polls each of the past two seasons, climbing as high as 8th in 2026.
The Wildcats posted a 12-7 (.632) overall record in 2026 including a 4-1 (.800) mark in conference play and advanced to the NAIA Championship tournament. Over the course of the past two seasons LCU has produced three all-conference selections including two first-team honorees.
Starkova began her collegiate coaching career at her alma mater, Louisiana Tech, before moving on to McNeese where she spent two seasons. During her time with the Cowgirls, she helped lead McNeese to 29 overall victories and a share of the 2018 Southland Conference regular season title. McNeese's 2018 squad landed seven players on the all-conference teams including two first-team selections. Her success in Lake Charles came following a one-year stint in Ruston, La., where she helped guide the Lady Techsters to a No. 66 national ranking – the highest rank in program history. Starkova also spent three seasons at UL Lafayette before taking the head coach position at LCU.
A two-time Spanish Singles runner-up, Starkova climbed as high as 34th in the Spanish National Singles rankings. She would go on to compete at No. 1 singles for the Lady Techsters during her collegiate career. She was also ranked 1065th in the WTF world rankings.
Starkova earned her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana Tech in 2017, and received her Master’s in Health and Human Performance from McNeese two years later.
