Mary Baldwin University

Lois Blackburn Bryan was the Mary Baldwin tennis coach for two decades, building a program and a legacy that continues. 

She was presented dozens of honors and awards for her work, which included building one of the strongest tennis programs in Virginia, running state and national championship tournaments and even designing the MBU tennis complex that still bears her name.

She coached the only Mary Baldwin team to win an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship (1988) and several players who were All-Americans and national award winners, including two Mary Baldwin Athletics Hall of Fame honorees.  Her team record from 1969-89 was 223-112, which included a winning record every season. 

During a six-year stretch, MBC finished third in the conference twice, second once and won the title once.  Here teams won three Virginia state titles and two Eastern Collegiate championships, and she has three players named to the National Junior Weightman Cup team.  The Squirrels were nationally ranked numerous seasons and reached as high as #5 in the small college national rankings.

Blackburn Bryan’s teams and players were well known for integrity and sportsmanship, winning multiple individual and team sportsmanship awards.  She also gave her time to regional, state and national tennis organizations, holding officer positions and serving as director of numerous championship tournaments.

After learning about the honor in 1996, Blackburn Bryan was inducted into the ITA Hall of Fame posthumously in 1997.