Traci Young was named Valparaiso’s head women’s tennis coach on March 19, 2009, midway through the 2009 spring season for the Crusaders.  

In 2011, one of Young’s players was the recipient of the Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award in the Horizon League.  

Since taking over the Valpo program, Young has had 13 players named to the Horizon League’s Fall or Spring Academic Honor Roll.

Young arrived at Valpo after serving as the tennis director and teaching professional at the Courts of Northwest Indiana in Valparaiso where she taught and promoted tennis in the area through marketing private lessons, programs, clinics, and leagues as well as Cardio Tennis.

She also has been a tennis instructor in both Carmel, Ind. and Columbus, Ohio as well as a high school assistant coach for the Worthington Christian Schools. She also served as a counselor for Miami University Tennis camps.

Young played her collegiate tennis at Ohio University where she was a team captain, was named the team’s Most Valuable Player, and also was the recipient of the Bobcat Award.  She played USTA junior tennis at the Midwest level as well as nationally in the 12 and under division up through 18s.  She was a member of the Junior Wightman Cup, and, at the age of 16, played on a United States tournament level team in Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, and England through the Tennis:Europe organization.

Young, who also serves as the director of student-athlete life skills program at Valpo, earned her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Ohio University in 1989 with an emphasis in social studies.