ST. PAUL, Minn.---A season ago, the University of Northwestern topped the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) in women’s tennis for the first time since 2017. The Eagles are also the favorite to repeat as a unanimous favorite in the 2022 UMAC Women’s Tennis Preseason Coaches’ Poll announced Tuesday.
Northwestern collected 16 possible points and four first-place votes to lead the five-team field. The University of Wisconsin-Superior trailed behind with 12 points in second place, while the University of Minnesota Morris was third with 11 points and one first-place selection.
The Eagles cruised to a perfect 6-0 conference regular season championship before taking the postseason championship for their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2016. They will have to face the remaining four conference squads twice this year but are positioned well with a ton of returning talent.
Led by senior Belinda Weddle, the Eagles welcome back three All-UMAC performers in Weddle, Taylar Smith and Elli Dodge. All three players recorded double-digit wins in both singles and doubles play a season ago with Smith tallying a remarkable 18-2 singles record. Weddle should lead the pack after going 12-6 at No. 2 singles as a junior.
Wisconsin-Superior and Minnesota Morris will look to challenge the reigning champs with several key players back for both squads. The Yellowjackets bring back the 2021 UMAC Player of the Year in Maya Callaway who went undefeated at No. 1 singles the previous spring. Chiyono Owa recorded six wins at No. 3 singles and added six wins in doubles play which should position her to join Callaway in leading the ‘Jackets.
Experience should help the Cougars push for a top-two spot as they bring back three All-UMAC honorees in Kate Obright, Kiley Rodarmel and Megan Arens. Obright and Rodarmel each had at least four wins at No. 1 singles and all three recorded at least eight overall singles wins and six or more doubles wins.
The poll finished up with Bethany Lutheran College in fourth with six points and Martin Luther College fifth with five points. Senior Shoshanna Bruner will lead the Vikings after becoming the program’s career leader in wins at No. 2 singles, while the top four players for the Knights are also back as the team looks for improvement in 2022.
Several UMAC teams kick off competition this weekend with conference play set to begin in late March and early April. The UMAC four-team postseason tournament is scheduled for May 6-7 at the Baseline Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
2022 UMAC Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Pl. | School | Pts. |
| 1. | Northwestern | 16 (4) |
| 2. | Wisconsin-Superior | 12 |
| 3. | Minnesota Morris | 11 (1) |
| 4. | Bethany Lutheran | 6 |
| 5. | Martin Luther | 5 |