The 2025-26 season will mark Kirsten (Gambrell) McMahon’s 14th at Case Western Reserve and 13th as the Head Women's Tennis Coach.

McMahon, the 2013 Wilson/ITA Central Region Women's Assistant of the Year, spent the 2012-13 campaign as assistant coach for both Spartan men's and women's tennis. She was then promoted to women's head coach in July 2013.

The Spartans went 13-7 in dual matches during the 2024-25 campaign and finished the season ranked in the top 20 in Division III by the ITA. Senior Lily McCloskey, an eight-time All-UAA honoree, and junior Katalina Wang each received All-America honors. McCloskey later became the first-ever CWRU student-athlete from any sport to earn three CSC Academic All-America First Team selections.

Making their third-ever postseason appearance, CWRU reached the Third Round of the NCAA Championship for the second time in 2024, defeating Carelton 5-0 in the Second Round after receiving a bye. Juniors Hannah Kassaie and Lily McCloskey were named All-Americans for the third consecutive season, and Kassaie was named the University Athletic Association Player of the Year.

In 2022-23, the Spartans appeared in the NCAA Championship for the second consecutive season, reaching the Second Round after defeating Transylvania University 5-0 in the First Round. Sophomores Hannah Kassaie and Lily McCloskey repeated as All-Americans, with Kassaie making a program-record run to the quarterfinals of the singles championship under McMahon's tutelage.

During the 2021-22 season, the McMahon guided the team to the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship for the first time in program history after posting a 16-4 record in the regular season. The Spartans defeated Denison in the Second Round of the tournament for the program's first postseason victory before falling to eventual national champion Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the Round of 16. First-years Hannah Kassaie and Lily McCloskey qualified for the NCAA Division III Individual Championships as a doubles pair and earned All-America honors, while Kassaie also qualified for the singles tournament and received All-America status.  

In 2020-21, the Spartans went 5-1 during the spring season and posted a 2-0 record in home matches throughout the year.  The Spartans qualified an athlete for the NCAA Division III Championships, with senior Madeleine Paolucci competing in the singles draw for the second time of her career. The senior, who became the program’s only five-time All-American after she claimed a first round win at the NCAA Championships, finished the year with a 5-2 singles record. In addition, Paolucci was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.

During the 2019-20 season, the Spartans compiled an overall record of 5-4 during the year, before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Junior Madeleine Paolucci was named a 2020 ITA Division III Women's All-American, after finishing in the Top-20 in the final Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Singles Rankings. Paolucci ended the season ranked ninth among all NCAA Division III singles players and second among players in the Central Region.

In 2018-19, the Spartans went 8-11 and posted a 4-1 record in home matches throughout the year. CWRU qualified an athlete for the NCAA Division III Individual Championships, with sophomore Madeleine Paolucci competing in the singles draw for the first time in her career. The sophomore, who became the first All-American singles player in the history of the women's tennis program after picking up a first round win at the NCAA Championships, finished the year with a 19-8 singles record and added a 17-11 doubles record during the year.  

During the 2017-18 season, McMahon led the Spartans to a 15-4 overall record and was nationally-ranked throughout the campaign. They were featured as high as 15th in the poll during the course of the season, the highest ranking in the program's history. The Spartans qualified a pair of athletes for the NCAA Division III Individual Championships, with Nithya Kanagasegar competing in the singles draw for the fourth-straight season, and teaming with Madeleine Paolucci in the doubles draw. The pairing, which earned All-America honors following a quarterfinals berth at the NCAA Championships, finished the year with a 23-9 record together, matching the program record for doubles victories in season.

In her first season at the helm of the women’s program, McMahon led the Spartans to the highest final ITA national ranking (22nd) in program history at that time. That ranking came on the heels of a season in which the Spartans (11-10) faced one of the nation’s toughest schedules with 11 nationally ranked opponents. The team also matched the best UAA finish (fifth) in program history.

McMahon assumed leadership of the women's team from Todd Wojtkowski, who had guided both the men and women for five seasons. Working primarily with the women in her first season with the program, McMahon helped the Spartans (12-9) to the No. 25 ranking in the final ITA national poll and the team’s first-ever national ranking (No. 22) in April. The team also qualified a player for the NCAA Championship Tournament for the first time in school history.

A former NCAA Division I standout at DePaul University (Ill.), McMahon joined the staff at CWRU following a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia.

A native of nearby Bay Village, Ohio, McMahon was a four-time Big East Conference Academic All-Star at DePaul from 2007-10 and a key member of a Blue Demon squad that reached the NCAA Division I Championship Tournament in 2010. In addition, she advanced to the championship match of the 2008 Wilson/ITA Regional Doubles Tournament.

Along with her playing experience, McMahon brings a multitude of instructing experience. Most recently, she served as an all-age instructor at the North Olmsted Recreation Complex, the Avon Oaks Country Club and the Bay Village Recreation Department. Prior to her time at Berry, she served in various instructing roles with the Rome-Floyd Parks & Recreation Department in Georgia and the Lakeshore Athletic Club in Chicago.

McMahon earned her Bachelor of Science degree in education from DePaul in 2010 and a Master of Business Administration from Berry in 2012.

McMahon Highlights

• 2013 Wilson/ITA Central Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year
• No. 11 national ranking in 2024 (best final ranking in team history)
• 2022 NCAA Team Championship appearance (first in program history), Second Round win (first postseason win in program history) 
• 2023 NCAA Team Championship appearance, First Round win
• 2024 NCAA Team Championship appearance, Second Round win
• 2013 NCAA Championship singles qualifier Sara Zargham (first female qualifier in school history)
• 2018 NCAA Championship doubles All-Americans Nithya Kanagasegar and Madeleine Paolucci (first All-Americans in program history)
• 2019 NCAA Championship singles All-American Madeleine Paolucci (first All-American singles player in program history)
• 2021 NCAA Championship singles All-American Madeleine Paolucci
• 2022 NCAA Championship doubles All-Americans Hannah Kassaie and Lily McCloskey
• 2022 NCAA Championship singles All-American Hannah Kassaie
• 2023 NCAA Championship doubles All-Americans Hannah Kassaie and Lily McCloskey
• 2023 NCAA Championship singles All-American Hannah Kassaie (reached quarterfinals, furthest run in program history)
• 2024 NCAA Championship doubles All-Americans Hannah Kassaie and Lily McCloskey
• 2024 NCAA Championship singles All-American Hannah Kassaie
• 2025 NCAA Championship doubles All-Americans Lily McCloskey and Katalina Wang

Dual Match Results