2007-08 Season
After walking onto the team as a freshman, Tanaka turned in a stellar season for the Owls, taking over the No. 1 spot when injuries sidelined Madeleine Hakansson and Mercedes Cobos and going on to earn an Atlantic Sun All-Freshman selection after posting a 6-4 record at the top spot... Tanaka led the team in overall singles and doubles wins, finishing 9-9 overall in dual match singles and 8-10 in spring doubles while playing primarily at No. 1...Teamed up with Mercedes Cobos to go 6-0 in the spring in doubles, including 4-0 versus conference opponents at No. 1...She was 5-7 on the fall tournament circuit, earning her first collegiate win with a straight-set 6-0, 6-2 sweep of Lee's Kelli Miller in the consolation bracket of the UTC/Steve Baras Championship in September...Her fall was highlighted by winning the "B" backdraw finals at the UNCW Invitational, where she swept all three of her opponents en route to the victory... Capped her win in Wilmington with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 defeat of East Tennessee State's Whitney Trotter in the final...Earned her first dual match win by blanking Savannah State's No. 1 player, Angela Palmer 6-0, 6-0 to lead the Owls to their first victory of the season...Captured her first conference win in impressive fashion, dropping the A-Sun regular season champion's, USC Upstate, No. 2 player Emilia Milovanovich 6-3, 7-6 to secure the Owls lone point of the match...Won two straight conference matches, and three-straight overall, to run her early spring record to 3-1 against the A-Sun and 6-4 overall...Ended her run with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Presbyterian's top player Brittany Lanford...Finished the season on a winning streak, sweeping Alabama State's Sheniece Rollins and North Carolina Central's Ashley Rogers in straight-sets at No. 1 in her last two matches of the season.

Prep Career
Tanaka joined the Owls after a successful junior career and four years at Duluth High School...She won her team's Player-of-the-Year award all four years as a member of the Wildcats...Won a G18 Peach State national match while playing junior tennis.

Personal
Was born Ayano Christine Tanaka in Dallas, Texas...Is the daughter of Junji and Misako Tanaka...Has two older siblings, YuSuke (29) and Yukino (26)...Has a pet dachshund named Bo...Enjoys playing volleyball and soccer when not playing tennis...Is undecided on her major.