CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini women’s tennis head coach Evan Clark has announced that program alum Daniela Pedraza Novak will join his staff as a volunteer assistant coach. Pedraza Novak competed as a student-athlete under Clark from fall 2015 through spring 2019.
“To say our program is fortunate to have Daniela join us this semester is an understatement,” shared Clark. “We are so grateful to Daniela for stepping in and filling a major void so seamlessly. I really can’t imagine a better person for the position and our program is very lucky to have her. Daniela was the epitome of a student-athlete at Illinois, so she gains instant respect from our young women. To top that, Daniela is a balanced, intelligent, kind and genuine human being that will be a tremendous role model for our student-athletes. I’ve already seen it in her short time with us but I’m excited to continue to see the positive impact she will have on our program this semester.”
“This is certainly a full-circle moment for the two of us,” began Pedraza Novak. “What I love most about this opportunity is that my goal remains the same: to help our team reach new heights. Both as a former player and a coach, I have great confidence in our program’s potential and these young women’s ability to have a special season.”
The Bogota, Colombia native was a staple in the Illini lineup across her career as she racked up a 65-43 overall singles record and 72-38 career mark in doubles play. Pedraza Novak reached a career-best doubles ranking of No. 30 during her senior campaign.
Illinois appeared in both the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Team Tournaments with Pedraza Novak on the squad. She went 3-0 in singles matches across those two postseason appearances and 2-1 on the doubles courts.
Pedraza Novak earned Academic All-Big Ten honors across her sophomore, junior and senior campaigns while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in finance. She was also tabbed an ITA Scholar-Athlete in 2018.
Since her graduation in 2019, Pedraza Novak has remained on the UIUC campus after being accepted into the doctoral program at Gies College of Business during her senior year. The four-year Illini letterwinner is currently working towards a doctorate in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship.
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