Wolf Pack projected second in SSAC women’s tennis preseason poll

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The collegiate spring tennis season doesn't start for another few months, but the Southern States Athletic Conference released its 2025-26 SSAC Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Poll Wednesday as the Loyola Wolf Pack looks to defend its first conference championship. 

Loyola, who compiled a 17-6 overall record last season, was voted second for the first time since the 2023 season. William Carey, who won the SSAC regular season title after going 6-0 in conference, received all six first-place votes. The Wolf Pack received second-place votes from every team, while Mobile and UT Southern split third and fourth. Blue Mountain Christian and Abraham Baldwin tied for fifth to round out the poll. 

Following up a season in which they won the conference tournament, the Pack recently had individual success at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association fall tournaments. Graduate students Adele Fereres and Avery Frierson competed in the finals of the ITA Gulf Regional to qualify them for the ITA Cup, where they reached the quarterfinal. 

Fereres and Frierson are joined by senior Micaela Ponce and junior Avrora Volkova as returners from last year's championship lineup. The team also returns seniors Juliette Finch and Caitlin Wangard-Siles, along with sophomores Bianca Harris, Luciana Marziano, and Thandie Sampson. 

Newcomers to the roster are Samantha Abir, Sofia Amodu, Audrey Luig, and Presha Shanthamoorthi. The freshmen duo of Amodu and Shanthamoorthi played together in doubles at the ITA Regional, with the latter reaching the quarterfinals in the singles main draw. 
 

2025-26 SSAC Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Poll 

1. William Carey – 36 (6)
2. Loyola – 30
3. Mobile – 22
4. UT Southern – 18
5. Blue Mountain Christian – 10
5. ABAC – 10