FULTON, Mo. - Lexie Payne has been selected as the next Westminster Women's Tennis Head Coach, announced Associate Athletic Director James Arnold.

She will also serve as an assistant to the men's program, which will be headed by Andrew Green. 

"We are so fortunate to be able to add someone like Coach Payne to our athletic staff," said Arnold. "She played at a high level, has taught privately as a pro, and has been a college head coach for over a decade in Mid-Missouri.  The experience and technical expertise she brings to the tennis programs will be a huge benefit to our student athletes."

Payne was most recently the Head Women's Tennis Coach at Stephens College in Columbia from 2006-18. Her 12-year tenure before the program was removed was the longest for a head coach at Stephens since athletics was reinstated in 1994. Her program was the winningest athletics program at Stephens during that time, including having the highest team GPA during her time. 

Payne is currently a private tennis teaching professional at Cooper Tennis Complex as well as a Volunteer USTA Missouri District Junior Team Tennis Coordinator. Since 2005, she has held coaching and instructing positions at Columbia Independent School, Wilson's Beach and Tennis, Country Club of Missouri, and Columbia Tennis Academy. 

Her playing career includes being a member of the University of Missouri's team from 1996-98, and later finishing her eligibility at Stephens in 2004 with an undefeated singles record. 

She is a certified member of the Professional Tennis Registry and USTA Net Generation and her current rankings include #41 National Ranking Women's 35 Singles, #1 Missouri Valley Women's 35 Singles, #1 Missouri Valley Mixed Doubles, #2 Women's 4.5 Singles, #1 4.5 Women's Doubles.

"I'm excited about being involved and directing the future of Westminster Tennis," said Payne. "It is a position I've always coveted. I think that Westminster is a perfect fit for my coaching style and will benefit my years of coaching experience."