There have been many great women athletes and coaches who led Penn State teams to successful seasons, earning conference and national honors in the fifty years since Title IX enactment.  This section displays only a small sampling of images of athletes and coaches who were among the best during their collegiate careers at Penn State.  The collection link below leads to the collection guide and inventory of more than 11,000 men’s and women’s athletes, coaches, and administrators dating back to the 1880s.  Materials in each file may include photos, biographical material, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles for a specific athlete.  

Claudia Karabedian

Claudia Karabedian competed on the tennis team from 1986 to 1989.  She played as the #1 singles, then #2 singles as a junior and senior. Karabedian teamed up with Kelly Erven as the #1 doubles players for three years.  She helped the team win the Atlantic 10 Conference championship in each of her four years at Penn State.  Karabedian and Erven qualified for the 1989 NCAA tournament, as they were ranked #1 in doubles in the east with a 38-1 record. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jan Bortner

Jan Bortner was the coach of the women’s tennis team from 1982 to 1991, leading the team to six straight Atlantic 10 Conference titles from 1985 to 1990. He finished his career with the most wins as a of any women’s tennis coach with 125-45 record and was honored as the Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1991.

 

 

 

 

Kelly Erven 

Kelly Erven competed on the tennis team from 1987 to 1990.  She was the #1 singles player and #1 doubles player for three years.  Erven helped the team win the Atlantic 10 Conference championship in each of her four years at Penn State.  She and her doubles partner, Claudia Karabedian, ranked #1 in the east with a 38-1 record, qualiying for the 1989 NCAA tournament. 

 

 

 

 

 

Olga Novikova

Olga Novikova competed on the tennis team from 1993 to 1997.  She had a 95-36 record in singles and a 62-46 record in doubles during her career.  Novikova was named to the All-Big Ten team in 1995, 1996, and 1997. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the link to the athlete’s and coaches’ files collection: Pennsylvania State University, Intercollegiate Athletics public relations files