​The courts are quiet this season, and the echoes of last year have faded from the Mizzou Tennis Complex. The familiar doubles pairings are gone, the lineup cards that once filled every position have been erased, and the faces that represented Missouri tennis only a few months ago have moved on. Only one remains. Alex Ackman steps into a program that looks almost unrecognizable compared with the one she joined a year ago. Surrounding her are new coaches, empty roster spots waiting to be filled, and a team embarking on one of the most significant rebuilds in recent Missouri Athletics history. There is no slow transition here—there is simply a new beginning.
Welcome to Tiger Top Spin, a fresh Monday feature series following Missouri tennis through the season. Each week, Tiger Top Spin will explore the biggest stories surrounding the program as it navigates a new era under head coach Robin Goodman. Beginning this Wednesday, the companion series Columns & Courts will invite readers to dive deeper into the roster, recruiting, and weekly developments shaping the Tigers.
There is no better place to start than here: everything has changed. Former head coach Bianca Turati left Columbia for Texas after three years at the helm, closing a brief but memorable chapter in Missouri tennis history. Her departure was followed by an unprecedented roster overhaul, leaving Goodman with the task of rebuilding nearly every spot in the lineup. When the Tigers hit the court this season, they will do so with one returning player: Ackman.
For many programs, one returning player would signal uncertainty. For Missouri, she embodies the foundation. The former five-star recruit arrived in Columbia with lofty expectations after ranking among the nation’s top prospects. She was No. 59 nationally and No. 11 in Florida, building her reputation through a blend of consistency and competitiveness before stepping onto a college court. Her freshman season offered glimpses of that potential. Ackman went 11-13 in singles, competing primarily at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, earning an SEC victory over Ole Miss, and stringing together a five-match winning streak from January through late February. In doubles, she frequently partnered at the top of the lineup, gaining valuable experience against some of the nation’s strongest programs.
Yet those statistics tell only part of the story. This season, Ackman’s most significant role may have little to do with wins and losses. She stands to become the bridge between Missouri’s past and its future, the link that connects what the program has been with what it aspires to become.
Helping lead that transformation is Goodman, whom Missouri hired after an extensive national search. Athletic Director Laird Veatch described the search as one aimed at finding a proven builder—someone capable of developing a program while understanding the demands of competing at a high level—so Missouri can chart a new course in tennis. Ackman’s rise to the core of the lineup, alongside a revamped coaching staff and a reshaped roster, signals Missouri’s intent to rebuild with a steady hand and a clear vision for sustained competitiveness. The season ahead holds the promise of new beginnings, renewed ambition, and the chance to redefine what Missouri tennis can become under a direction focused on growth, resilience, and the confidence to compete at the highest level.