UMD Athletics

The second longest tenured coach in program history, Jessica Worden embarks on her tenth season as the leader of the UMD women's tennis program.

In her nine seasons as the head coach, Worden has coached her team to five Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament appearances and has produced seven All-NSIC selections (from five different honorees) and nine NSIC All-Academic Team qualifiers. During her guidance, Worden has overseen a pair of UMD's Top Female Scholar-Athlete Award winners -- Kaitlin Wohnoutka (2015-16) and Natalie Cahill (2020-21), and the addition of six NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winners including Olivia Honsey most recently this past January.

The Bulldogs have also been the recipients of the UMD Team Impact Award for outstanding community service in seven of the eight years when award has introduced including that inaugural year as they averaged 22.0 volunteer hours per player during the 2016-17 school year. In 2024, UMD posted a whopping 56.0 hours, the highest average in a single school year, en route to their third straight club recognition.

It wasn't long for Worden to make her coaching mark with women's tennis program. Her 55 wins is the second most all-time in program history behind Dan Doyle's 102. Worden was tabbed the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Northern Division College Coach of the Year after a strong 2023 campaign, surpassing all preseason expectations to a 8-8 finish and qualifying for the conference tournament for the first time since 2021.

In 2021, Worden's sixth year with the program, the Bulldogs came back from the global pandemic with an appearance in the conference tournament. Additionally, senior Natalie Cahill was named UMD's E.L. "Duce" Rasmussen Award winner as the top female scholar-athlete that year and was bestowed as an All-NSIC Second Team recipient. 

While the 2020 season was shortened in an untimely manner by the COVID-19 pandemic, Worden's squad posted a .600 record, going 6-4 overall and an even 4-4 in the conference. The team started the year with two dominant wins over two local non-conference foes in St. Scholastica -- Worden's alma mater -- and the University of Wisconsin-Superior. The last five matches of the season, along with the conference tournament, were canceled.

In 2019, in just her fourth year at the helm, Worden directed the Bulldogs to their third straight berth in the NSIC Tournament as well as both their most overall victories and winning percentage (.687 off a 11-5 record) in 12 years. They also placed third in the final NSIC standings -- their highest finish in that circuit since 2004. In addition, UMD was represented on the All-NSIC second team by sophomores Natalie Cahill and Isabel Thiner. In 2018, Worden's Bulldogs collectively took a huge step forward by posting a 9-5 record and coming in fourth in the NSIC. A pair of team captains -- Shelby Benkofske and Megan Anderson both landed a spot on the All-NSIC second team as well.

After going 3-14 during her debut season at UMD, Worden saw her troops post a 9-13 record the following year and qualify for the NSIC Tournament for the first time in seven years.  Those nine wins that spring were the most accumulated by a Bulldog club since the 2009 season.

Worden was hired as UMD's head tennis coach on Nov. 9, 2015 after having spent the better part of the previous decade coaching at various Minnesota high schools. The Buffalo, Minn., native is also currently the girls and boys head coach at Hermantown High School. She oversaw the Hawk girls program for four years (2007-11) before heading to the Twin Cities where she assumed the Minneapolis South High School girls' head coaching position in 2012 and was the junior varsity boys coach at Benilde-St. Margaret's High School from 2011 to 2013. In the fall of 2013, Worden returned to Hermantown High School to once again coach the Hawk girls (landing herself the Section 7A Coach of the Year Award that season) and that spring she took on those same duties with the Hermantown boys. Worden has also advanced the first boys doubles team (Aaron Evjen & Zam Plante) and first boys single player (Sam Swenson) to the Minnesota State High School Tournament. She also coached Campbell Amundson from Hermantown Girls Tennis, who set the record for most wins in a season, longest winning streak, and the record for advancing to the Section Finals for 7AA.  

Besides her high school coaching obligations, Worden was also a women's tennis volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, the College of St. Scholastica, during the 2014-15 season and has served as a tennis professional at the Longview Tennis Club in Duluth (2007-11 and 2013), the Bainbridge Athletic Club in Bainbridge Island, Wash. (2009-10) and the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas (2008-09).

Worden was a four-year letterwinner at St. Scholastica and competed in three NAIA National Tournaments with the Saints (2004, 2006 and 2007). She also helped lead St. Scholastica to four consecutive Upper Midwest Athletic Conference team titles and, as a senior in 2007 was selected the UMAC Player of the Year after capturing the league's No. 1 singles crown. Worden, a two-time All-UMAC honoree (2007 and 2006), amassed a 48-33 singles record and a 51-24 doubles mark as a Saint and both of those victory totals were, at the time, the third highest in program history.

A member of the United States Professional Tennis Association, Worden graduated from St. Scholastica in 2007 with a B.A. degree in management and marketing. In her free time, Worden enjoys outdoor activities in all seasons, including rowing with the Duluth Rowing Club, golfing, beach tennis, and biathlon training. She is also an active member of a local book club and is always looking for new ways to stay engaged with her community. She and her husband, Matt, reside in Duluth, with their daughters, Nora and Greta. 
 

Season	Team	W	L	Win %	W (Conf)	L (Conf)	Win %
2016	UMD	3	14	.176	3	8	.273
2017	UMD	9	13	.409	6	5	.545
2018	UMD	9	5	.643	7	4	.636
2019	UMD	11	5	.688	8	3	.727
2020	UMD	6	4	.600	4	4	.500
2021	UMD	5	7	.417	5	6	.455
2022	UMD	2	11	.154	2	9	.182
2023	UMD	8	8	.500	5	6	.455
2024	UMD	2	10	.167	1	8	.111
Career Totals	9 Years	55	77	.417	41	53	.436