Northwest Wayne News

Wayne State University has officially appointed Yahsha Moore as the head coach of its women's tennis program, removing her interim title. The announcement was made by Erika Wallace, the university's Director of Athletics.

"I'm extremely excited to announce Coach Moore as our next head women's tennis coach," said Wallace. "Her experience and dedication to this program as a former player and assistant coach is a huge asset for this team. When Coach Moore took over last year as Interim Head Coach, she proved that this was what she wanted and that she was more than ready to make this program her own. I'm excited to watch her leadership as she begins to shape a new era for women's tennis at WSU."

Moore expressed her enthusiasm about continuing in her role. "I'm really excited to continue coaching the game that I love," she stated. "It's always been a dream of mine to pursue my passion, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to do that at Wayne State. As a former student, assistant coach, and now head coach, everything has come full circle for me. I can't wait to see what the future holds, and I'm so happy I get to do it surrounded by such a great team and support system. This is truly a dream come true."

Moore began her coaching career with Wayne State's women's tennis team in 2017-18 as a volunteer assistant before becoming an assistant coach. She stepped into the interim head coach position on March 1, 2024.

Under Moore's guidance, the Warriors achieved an unbeaten record in the GLIAC (7-0) in 2024 and secured several titles including the GLIAC Tournament championship and an NCAA Midwest Regional title. They advanced to the national quarterfinals after winning at the NCAA Sweet 16.

The academic performance of Moore's athletes also stood out, with five being named Academic All-GLIAC and four earning All-Academic Excellence Team honors. Anais Ruyssen received recognition as College Sports Communicators Division 2 women's tennis Academic All-American of the Year.

On-court achievements included Ruyssen being named GLIAC Player of the Year while both Ruyssen and Malak Arafat were selected First Team All-GLIAC for singles play.

Before taking on coaching duties, Moore had an impressive collegiate playing career at Wayne State from 2011-15 where she was a four-time All-GLIAC performer.

Moore's tenure on Sheila Snyder’s staff saw significant success with an overall record of 111-41 for the Warriors during six-plus years.

A West Bloomfield native, Moore holds degrees in Psychology and Sports Administration from Wayne State University.