Anna Reif

2026 Women's Tennis Season Preview

2/5/2026 10:00:00 AM

GAMBIER, Ohio – With the departure of just one senior from a season ago, the 2026 Kenyon College women's tennis team returns eight letterwinners and will look to build on the experiences gained from last season's run through the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament, as well as the first few rounds of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

2025 Review
     The Owls finished with a 16-7 overall record and went undefeated in conference play, winning both the NCAC's regular season and tournament titles. The team earned a bye in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and defeated No. 25-ranked Sewanee in the second round. No. 9-ranked Washington University in St. Louis then brought a close to Kenyon's team play, ousting the Owls in the third round. At season's end, the Owls were ranked at No. 22 nationally and at No. 5 regionally.
     Junior Eleni Lazaridou went on to play in the NCAA Singles Championship and earned All-America recognition for making it all the way to the quarterfinal round. Lazaridou earned a No. 13 national singles-play rank and also paired with first-year Hana Nouaime to collect a No. 29 rank for doubles play. The pair earned a spot in the NCAA Doubles Championship, but were eliminated in the first round.

Coaching Staff
Head coach Dominic Modise returns for his second season with the team. The transition period last season seemed to go smoothly as the Owls won their third straight conference crown. Modise, who has coaching experience that spans nearly all NCAA divisions and international competition as well, is hoping to take his 2026 veteran squad to the next level.

NCAC Preseason Poll
Kenyon collected all eight first-place votes and racked up a perfect score of 64 team points in the annual NCAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Denison University secured second with 56 points, followed by DePauw University in third with 45 points and newcomer John Carroll University in fourth with 42 points. Oberlin College (32), The College of Wooster (22), Ohio Wesleyan University (18), and Wittenberg University (9) rounded out the eight-team poll.

Returning All-Conference Honorees
With Lazaridou leading the way, the Owls have a handful of 2024-25 All-NCAC players returning to play this semester. Lazaridou, who posted a 17-3 record was named to the NCAC First Team and voted the NCAC Player of the Year for the third straight season. Fellow junior Shadia Amado Aguad, who was 15-10, also earned a spot among the First Team selections. Ana Brand and Clare Hudson were named to the Second Team and first-year Hana Nouaime grabbed a spot on the Third Team. Four of those five also garnered all-conference recognition for doubles play, as well. Lazaridou and Nouaime were selected as first-teamers, while the duo of Amado Aguad and Hudson were tabbed second-teamers.

Returning Statistical Leaders
Hudson, a first-year one season ago, logged a team-high 18 singles wins, playing mainly in the team's No. 3 and No. 4 spots. Overall, she was 18-8. Lazaridou, at No. 1, recorded a 17-3 singles mark, while both Nouaime and Lalasa Nagireddy, the team's lone senior last year, rang up 13 wins apiece. In doubles action, Lazaridou and Nouaime posted a 15-6 record. Amado Aguad and Hudson were 14-4. As seniors this season, Lazaridou and Amado Aguad are looking to keep improving on their numbers. Over her first three years, Lazaridou has a combined 62-12 singles mark. Ten more singles wins this season will put her on the program's top-10 list. Meanwhile, Amado Aguad, who is 56-22 in both singles and doubles play over her collegiate career, needs about 15 doubles wins in the season ahead to crack Kenyon's all-time top-10.

Schedule Overview
Season and home opener: Saturday, February 7, vs.Capital University (10:00 a.m.)
NCAC opener: Sunday, February 8, at Ohio Wesleyan University (9:00 a.m.)

How to Follow
Fans can follow Kenyon women's tennis throughout the season via the following links:
Live coverage (stats and video) - https://athletics.kenyon.edu/live
Twitter and Instagram - @KenyonSports
YouTube - @KenyonAthletics

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