Vivian Segnini enters her fourth year as the head coach of the VCU women’s tennis program in 2023-24.
In her third season at the helm, VCU again reached the Atlantic 10 Championship final. The team has reached the A-10 Championship in all three seasons under Segnini's watch. Victoria Smirnova Victoria Smirnova and Yelizaveta Karlova, the Rams top two courts, were named to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team. During the season, Karlova and Victoria Matasova were also ranked as high as No. 30 nationally in the ITA Doubles Rankings.
During her second year guiding the Rams Coach Segnini continued to progress the program, winning a fourth consecutive A-10 Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. Segnini led the Black and Gold to a 18-7 record and a season high ITA National Ranking of 50, while also being awarded her second consecutive A-10 Coach of the Year honor. Under Segnini's coaching Paola Exposito Diaz-Delgado reached as high as no. 47 in the ITA National Singles Rankings, was named the 2021-22 Atlantic 10 Performer of the Year, become the first player in program history to reach an NCAA Semifinal and was awarded her second All-American honor. Diaz-Delgado was also an ITF Battle in the Bay Finalist and was named ITA Atlantic Senior of the Year.
Diaz-Delgado and partner Laura Garcia Astudillo reached as high as No. 48 in the ITA Doubles Rankings while the pairing of Diaz-Delgado and Nina Sorkin recevied a preseason position of No. 53 in the poll. Sorkin, Diaz-Delgado and Yelizaveta Karlova each earned All-Atlantic 10 First Team honors, while Gabriela Davidescu and Laura Garcia Astudillo were named to the Second Team.
The Rams had immediate success under Segnini, who was named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, winning the A-10 championship and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament during her inaugural season. Segnini coached Paola Exposito Diaz-Delgado, the 2020-21 Atlantic 10 Performer of the Year, who was ranked as high as No. 91 in the ITA Singles Rankings and participated in the NCAA Singles Championship.
Diaz-Delgado and partner Noumea Witmus reached as high as No. 73 in the ITA Doubles Rankings as well. Alessia Ciuca and Luminita Tutunaru joined Diaz-Delgado on the All-Atlantic 10 First Team, while Witmus and Gabriela Davidescu were selected to the Second Team.
Segnini previously served as a graduate assistant coach for VCU during the 2018-19 season, helping guide the Rams to the A-10 championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. That season she helped coach Diaz-Delgado as she earned ITA All-American status after reaching the round of 16 at the NCAA Singles Championship. Diaz-Delgado was also named A-10 Most Outstanding Performer that season, in addition to being ranked as high as No. 48 in the ITA Singles Rankings and winning the ITA Atlantic Regional title.
Segnini was the head coach of Winthrop, her alma mater, during the 2019-20 season, coaching Alisa Soloveva to a No. 76 slot in the ITA Singles Rankings. Winthrop was named an ITA All-Academic Team with three Eagles earning ITA Scholar-Athlete status, and Soloveva being named to the Big South All-Academic Team.
Segnini had previously served as a student assistant coach and a graduate assistant at Winthrop from 2013-18, helping the Eagles to Big South titles in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Winthrop won its first NCAA Tournament match in school history in 2018, defeating No. 20 Auburn. Segnini coached Lauren Proctor and Megan Kauffman, who earned ITA Doubles All-American status in 2018. Proctor was also the ITA Carolina Regional Champion in 2017, climbing as high as No. 14 in the ITA Singles Rankings that season.
A native of Sao Carlos, Brazil, Segnini played professionally from 2004-12 and was ranked as high as No. 275 in the world in singles and No. 244 in doubles. She also played for Brazil’s national team in the 2010 and 2012 Fed Cup, and played singles and doubles in the 2011 Pan-American Games. She was the top ranked professional player in Brazil in 2008 and 2011.
Segnini earned her undergraduate degree in psychology, with a minor in coaching, from Winthrop in 2017. She completed her Master’s in sport leadership from VCU’s Center for Sport Leadership in 2019.
