ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) released the 2024 Women’s Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday with the University of Northwestern Eagles and Greenville University Panthers being predicted to finish atop the North and South Divisions, respectively. The poll is voted on by all the head coaches in the conference.
The Eagles enter this spring as the defending UMAC Tournament champions and lead the preseason poll with 23 points and four first-place votes. Last year, Northwestern went 19-9 overall with a perfect 10-0 record in conference play. UNW defeated Webster University 5-0 in the postseason semifinals before winning a thrilling 5-4 battle against Principia University to clinch the 2023 UMAC Tournament championship. Annie Orvis returns for her junior season this spring for the Eagles. The two-time First Team All-UMAC honoree won 10 singles matches and 15 doubles matches in 2023. As a team in conference matches last year, the Eagles went 56-4 in singles and 29-1 in doubles.
Greenville took the top spot in the South Division poll with eight points and two first-place votes. The Panthers finished 2023 with a 7-12 overall record and split their conference matches 1-1. Addison Brannon leads the Panthers heading into her senior season after earning First Team All-Conference honors last season.
The University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets placed second in the North Division preseason poll, earning 21 points and two first-place votes. Last season, UWS went 10-13 overall and 7-3 in UMAC matches. The Yellowjackets battled the University of Minnesota Morris Cougars last season in a play-in game for the No. 2 seed in the North Division, but fell 5-2. Andreina Tajada, the 2023 UMAC North Division Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, returns to lead the Yellowjackets. The sophomore won 12 singles matches and 10 doubles matches in her first collegiate season.
Finishing second in the South Division poll was the Principia Panthers, who earned seven points and one first-place vote. In 2023, the Panthers went 15-5 overall and were undefeated in conference contests at 3-0. Principia competed in the 2023 UMAC Tournament and defeated Minnesota Morris 5-0 in the opening round. The Panthers then battled the Northwestern Eagles in the championship match, falling 5-4. Bissola Lassissi, the 2023 UMAC South Division Player of the Year, returns for her junior season after going 12-4 in singles and 13-7 in doubles last season. The Panthers will also have Saray Hernandez Cisneros back this spring, who was last year’s South Division Rookie of the Year.
Minnesota Morris was third in the North Division poll with 19 points. The Cougars had a 9-7 overall record in 2023 and went 7-3 in UMAC play. UMM battled Wisconsin-Superior in a UMAC Tournament play-in game, defeating the Yellowjackets 5-2. In the postseason conference semifinals, the Cougars fell to Principia 5-0. Kiley Rodarmel returns to lead Minnesota Morris in her senior season. The First Team All-Conference player won eight singles matches and eight doubles matches last year.
The Webster University Gorloks were third in the South Division poll with six points and one first-place vote. In 2023, the Gorloks finished 15-12 overall with a 1-2 UMAC record. Bailey Higgins returns for her senior season after winning 10 singles matches and 16 doubles matches last spring.
At the close of the regular season, the top two teams in both the North and South divisions will compete in the UMAC Tournament. The four-team conference postseason tournament, hosted at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in St. Louis, Missouri this season, begins on Friday, May 3 with the semifinal contests and wraps up with the championship round on Saturday, May 4. The UMAC Tournament champion will receive the conference's automatic qualifying bid to compete in the 2024 NCAA DIII Women's Tennis Championship.
2024 UMAC Women's Tennis Preseason Poll
NORTH DIVISION
1. Northwestern | 23 (4)
2. Wisconsin-Superior | 21 (2)
3. Minnesota Morris | 19
4. Martin Luther | 11
t5. Bethany Lutheran | 8
t5. Crown | 8
SOUTH DIVISION
1. Greenville | 8 (2)
2. Principia | 7 (1)
3. Webster | 6 (1)
4. Mississippi | 3
(#) Number of First-Place Votes
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NORTH DIVISION
1. University of Northwestern
Matt Swigart | 12
th Season |
2023 Season
10-0 UMAC, 19-9 Overall | 1
st |
Top Returners
Annie Orvis, Junior | 2x First Team All-UMAC, 2022 UMAC Rookie of the Year, 3x UMAC Player of the Week | 2023: 10-14 (Singles), 15-11 (Doubles) |
Abby Johnson, Sophomore | 2023 First Team All-UMAC, 1x UMAC Player of the Week | 2023: 10-9 (Singles), (15-10 (Doubles) | 3-1 in UMAC singles matches in 2023 and 9-0 in doubles matches |
Analise Marquardt, Junior | 2x Second Team All-UMAC, 2x Academic All-UMAC, 1x UMAC Player of the Week | 2023: 17-6 (Singles), 16-6 (Doubles) | Combined 17-0 in conferences matches in 2023 and finished the season winning her final 12 singles matches |
Need to Know
Northwestern went 56-4 in UMAC singles matches in 2023 and 29-1 in UMAC doubles matches.
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2. University of Wisconsin-Superior
CeeJay Schaffner | 5
th Season |
2023 Season
7-3 UMAC, 10-13 Overall | 3
rd |
Top Returners
Andreina Tejada, So. | 2023 UMAC POY | 2023 UMAC ROY | 2023: Singles – 12-9, Doubles – 10-9 |
Jessi Kukowski, So. | 1x UMAC POW | 2023: Singles – 12-4, Doubles – 12-10 |
Brooke Wilfong, So. | UMAC Honors | 2023: Singles – 9-14, Doubles – 10-15 |
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3. University of Minnesota Morris
Consuelo Michel | 2
nd Season |
2023 Season
7-3 UMAC, 9-7 Overall | 2
nd |
Top Returners
Kiley Rodarmel, Sr. | First Team All-UMAC | 2023: 8-6 (#1 Singles), 8-8 (#1 Doubles)|
Allison Bruhn, So. | Second Team All-UMAC | 2023: 8-6 (#3 Singles), 8-8 (#1 Doubles)|
Valerie Gall, Jr. | Honorable Mention All-UMAC | 2023: 9-5 (8-5 at #4 Singles), 9-6 (#2 Doubles) |
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4. Martin Luther College
Paul Koelpin | 2
nd Season |
2023 Season
3-7 UMAC, 3-12 Overall | t-4
th |
Top Returners
Rachel Schoeneck, Sophomore | 2
nd Team All-UMAC | 2023: Singles: 6-7, Doubles: 1-3
McKenzey Crowley, Senior | 2023: Singles: 2-10, Doubles: 2-10 |
Abigail Schewe, Junior | 2023: Singles: 6-7, Doubles: 5-10|
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t5. Bethany Lutheran College
Adie Harstad | 21
st Season (First since 2012) |
2023 Season
3-7 UMAC, 4-12 Overall, | t-4
th |
Top Returners
Sailor Mohlenbrock, sophomore | All-Conference | 3-12 singles, 4-11 doubles
Emily Yehle, sophomore | 6-9 singles, 5-10 doubles
Elissa Moonen, sophomore | 2-10 singles, 1-9 doubles
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t5. Crown College
Amanda McDonald | 2
nd Season |
2023 Season
0-10 UMAC, 0-13 Overall | 6
th |
Top Returners
Annie Doyle, Sophomore | Lakeville, MN |
Amanda Helser, Junior | Big Lake, MN |
Jaidence Medina, Sophomore
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SOUTH DIVISION
1. Greenville University
Brett Brannon | 7
th Season |
2023 Season
1-1 UMAC, 7-12 Overall | 2
nd |
Top Returners
Addison Brannon, Sr. | UMAC South First Team All-Conference | 2023: 8-8 Record |
Callie Adkins, Jr. | UMAC South Honorable Mention | 2023: 5-12 Record |
Emily Buratovich, Sr. | UMAC South Honorable Mention | 2023: 9-2 Record |
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2. Principia College
Shannon Carney
2023 Season
3-0 UMAC, 15-5 Overall | 1st |
Finalist UMAC Championships / UMAC South Champions undefeated 5-0 South / UMAC Championships 1-1
Top Returners
Bissola Lassissi / UMAC Player of the Year | 2023: Singles Record 12-4 , Doubles Record: 13-7 || 1
st Team All-Conference
Saray Cisneros / UMAC Rookie of the Year | 2023: Singles Record 15-2 , Doubles Record: 13-5 || 1
st Team All-Conference
Veronica Volkart | UMAC Women’s Tennis South Division Second Team All-Conference Singles Record 111-3 , Doubles Record: 11-6 |
Need to Know
The team looks forward to competing in the UMAC Championships in 2024
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3. Webster University
John Black | 4
th Season |
2023 Season
3-1 UMAC, 15-12 overall | 2
nd |
Top Returners
Bailey Higgins Sr | 2023: 10-16 Singles, 16-10 Doubles
Kylie Chitwood Jr | 2023: 11-13 Singles, 14-12 Doubles
Maddie Mena Jr | 2023: 12-9 Singles, 13-10 Doubles
Bailee Pineda So |2023: 17-5 Singles, 12-9 Double
Need to Know
5-0 after the fall season
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4. Mississippi University for Women
Daniel L Talley | 4
th Season |
2023 Season
1-13 Overall | NA |
Top Returners
Sarah Kackley, Jr. | NA | NA | 2023: Singles 5-8, Doubles 1-8 |
Mallory Parker, Jr. | NA | NA | 2023: Singles 1-6, Doubles 2-7 Record |
Macie Manasco, Sr. | NA | NA | 2023: Singles 4-7, Doubles 2-8 |
Need to Know
Our first year in the UMAC
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