Eastern Michigan University's head coach, Ryan Kucera, revealed on August 13 that Masha Polishchuk has been added to its tennis coaching staff as an assistant coach. Polishchuk, a former standout player at Ball State University and Texas Tech University, will join the EMU staff while pursuing her graduate degree.
"I'm thrilled to have Masha joining our coaching staff," said Kucera in an interview with Eastern Athletics. "She has an outstanding resume as a collegiate player and is a multiple-time MAC champion. Masha will bring a valuable perspective and inspiring energy to the position. I am fortunate to have her and Andrew Dobbs (student assistant coach) working with our team and am excited to see the positive impact it has on our student-athletes."
Originally from Siberia, Polishchuk came to the United States after graduating from 1282 GBOU School in Moscow, Russia, in 2020. She began her collegiate career at Ball State, playing No. 1 singles and doubles. During her time with the Cardinals, she was named the 2023 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and earned multiple All-MAC honors, including being a first-team selection twice.
After transferring to Texas Tech, Polishchuk played No. 2 singles and doubles, helping the Red Raiders achieve a national top-25 ranking and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She claimed the Big 12 title at No. 2 doubles in the spring and made significant strides in fall national events, including advancing to the semifinals at the ITA Texas Regionals.
Polishchuk graduated from Texas Tech in 2024 with a degree in university studies, focusing on organizational leadership, integrative studies, and computing applications. She earned several academic honors, including being named Academic All-MAC and Academic All-Big 12, a two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, and a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection.
Expressing her enthusiasm, Polishchuk stated in an interview with Eastern Athletics, "I am thankful to be back in the conference where it all started for me. I cannot wait to start working with Ryan and the players and continue to help make the program better one day at a time."
