Jaklin Alawi enters her third season on the FIU tennis coaching staff.
Alawi comes to FIU after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in political science in May 2013. Alawi spent two seasons with the Gamecocks where she was a two-time All-SEC second team honoree. During her senior season, Alawi maintained a national ranking in singles the entire season, ascending as high as No. 34 while finishing 96th in the final ITA poll. During her junior year, Alawi had an immediate impact on the Gamecocks' squad as a transfer. She earned All-SEC second team honors and was named the team's Most Valuable Player. She also became the second Gamecock in a row to pick up the ITA Carolina Region Player to Watch after Anya Morgina took home the award in 2011. After beginning the fall unranked, Alawi opened the spring campaign ranked No. 33 in the nation in singles, a career best, following an 11-2 fall record. She remained nationally ranked the entire spring and finished the year 95th. A two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree, Alawi finished her USC career with a 40-31 singles record, including a 25-9 mark in 2012, and a 49-24 record in doubles action.
Alwai began her collegiate career a Long Beach State, where she was a two-time All-Big West selection and the 2010 BIG West Freshman of the Year. During her 2011 season, Alwai helped guide Long Beach State to its eighth appearance all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
For her collegiate career, Alwai posted a 76-58 singes mark and a 90-48 doubles record.
A native of Sofia, Bulgaria, Alawi was the winner of three International Tennis Federation junior singles titles and two doubles titles. She also earned a ranking as high as No. 170 in the ITF and was the top-ranked junior in Bulgaria. The winner of the Eddie Uerr U-16 Doubles Title, Alwai was member of the Bulgarian Fed Cup Team and took seventh place in the European Summer Cups.
