Tempe, AZ – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (“ITA”) is pleased to announce today the hiring of Mai-Ly Tran and Alexis Casati Raines to the ITA staff. With both Tran and Raines joining the Association from the coaching ranks, they will join the ITA Competitive Department, where they will oversee championships, rankings, and rules across various levels of college tennis.
In their roles with the ITA, Tran will serve as the Manager of Division II and Division III Tennis, while Raines will serve as the Manager of NAIA, Junior College, and Wheelchair Tennis. These appointments continue the Association’s efforts to provide more staff support to the member bases of Division II, Division III, NAIA, JUCO, and wheelchair tennis programs.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mai-Ly and Alexis to the ITA team,” said David Mullins, CEO of the ITA. “As college athletics continues to undergo significant change, it is more important than ever that the ITA provides strong support and resources for our members. The creation of these two new positions reflects our commitment to better serving coaches, student-athletes, and programs across all levels of college tennis during this period of transformation. Both Mai-Ly and Alexis bring outstanding experience as coaches, leaders, and former student-athletes, giving them a deep understanding of the needs of our membership.
Joining the ITA after a successful few years at the helm of the Colorado State women’s tennis program, Tran brings a wealth of knowledge to the ITA both as a former coach and former collegiate tennis player at Cal State Fullerton.
Joining the Rams in 2021, Tran turned Colorado State back into a contender in the Mountain West Conference, including a record year in 2021-22, in which the Rams tied a program record in wins and earned as many conference victories in one season as they had in every season combined since 2013.
Before Colorado State, Tran served as the head coach at Drake University and the assistant coach at her alma mater, Cal State Fullerton. As a student-athlete at Cal State Fullerton, Tran earned All-Big West Second Team honors in doubles and graduated with a degree in Business Administration.
“I feel incredibly grateful and humbled to join the ITA team,” stated Tran. “Tennis has shaped who I am, and it’s a privilege to continue serving the sport that has given me so much. The relationships I’ve built with student-athletes, coaches, and colleagues have been the most meaningful part of my journey. I’m excited to learn from an amazing team, build new connections, and help create opportunities that positively impact our sport.”
As another former coach, Raines joins the ITA after most recently serving as the Associate Head Coach at her alma mater, Illinois. With experience at numerous institutions as a coach, Raines has spent time as an assistant or associate head coach at Western Michigan, SMU, and Georgia Tech in addition to her most recent stop in Champaign.
In her coaching career, Raines has mentored six All-Americans, nine all-conference selections, two ITA Regional Rookie of the Year honorees, and multiple student-athletes who earned ITA Regional and National Leadership Awards.
During her time as a student-athlete for the Fighting Illini, Raines tied the record for wins as a freshman with 30 and was a two-time team captain, three-time team MVP, and earned All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore. Raines graduated with a degree in Journalism from Illinois and also holds a master’s degree in Sport Management from Western Michigan.
“Thank you so much to the entire ITA staff for this opportunity,” said Casati Raines. “I am so excited to join the ITA. I’ve gotten to live out my passion for college tennis as a player and coach. Now, I look forward to furthering the mission of college tennis in a new capacity.”
Both Tran and Raines will begin at the ITA later this month and will bring the total number of full-time ITA employees to 13, across various departments. The Association looks forward to seeing their meaningful contributions to our sport and the coaches we serve during their time here.
About the ITA: The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body and coaches association of college tennis, both an advocate and an authority for the sport and its members. Comprised of 1,260 colleges and universities, 20,000 student-athletes, 1,800 varsity programs, 3,000 coaches, and 1,350 college tennis officials, the ITA empowers college tennis coaches at all levels to deliver vibrant tennis programs that are vital to their college communities and transformational to their student-athletes. Follow college tennis on the ITA website and ITA social channels on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
