The state of women’s tennis in the Pacific West Conference is similar to the men, meaning that most every year you can expect a battle between Hawai`i Pacific and Azusa Pacific for the conference banner, with another challenger or two waiting to break past that duo.

2024 looks to be the same, if you ask the PacWest coaches. In the annual coaches preseason poll, Azusa Pacific is tabbed to win with Hawai`i Pacific gaining the second spot. The Cougars had 220 poll points and the Sharks 200. This year, Point Loma looks to be the team that could upset that apple cart, checking at third with 197 points.

If the Cougars are able to win the PacWest tournament, set for April 17-20 in Surprise, Arizona, they would reclaim the crown that they won in 2021 and 2022. The Sharks took that banner from them in 2023, putting a trophy in their case next to their 2018 and 2019 hardware.

The road to Surprise begins this weekend for many of the teams, weather permitting. 12 of the 15 squads will play at some point this weekend, beginning today (Thursday) through the weekend. Only the Hawai`i squads will wait for another two weeks, squaring off against each other on Oahu. To see the complete schedule, click here.

There are 15 women’s tennis teams in the PacWest, with the top 12 qualifying for the tournament in Surprise. Here’s a look at those squads heading into a competitive 2024 season.

Azusa Pacific was the coaches pick to win the crown with 12-first place votes, even though head coach Mark Bohren graduated one of top players in the conference in Eleonora Liga and also their No. 3 singles player April Wong. The Cougars do return the rest of their singles line-up including Madison Kane (15-7 at No. 2), Miruna Tudor (20-1 at No. 5), Vini Bautista (14-8 at No. 4), and Katherine Nguyen (18-4 at No. 6).

Kane and Tudor reached the singles semifinals in last fall’s ITA West Region singles bracket. Kane teamed with graduate transfer Julia Jordan (San Diego State) to reach the same part of the bracket in doubles. In the latest ITA rankings that came out after that tournament, Tudor is ranked 16^th nationally and Kane is No. 21. Kane and Jordan check in at No. 24 in doubles.

Hawai`i Pacific won the 2023 PacWest title in a fitting send-off for longtime coach Lauren Conching in her final season at HPU. Conching left the program along with a number of veteran players who graduated, including multi-award winners Shaline Pipa, Elodie Busson and Marleen Tilgner. In fact, the Sharks have to replace most of their line-up with the exception of No. 3 Abigail Wild and Lynn Kader. Interim head coach Hendrik Bode, husband of Conching and also the Sharks’ men’s coach, has added transfers Jayanne Palma (University of Idaho) and Vera Markovic (University of Maryland) to help with that transition.

After a PacWest third-place finish and 16-9 record in 2023, Point Loma gained the third spot in the poll. They were just three poll points behind Hawai`i Pacific (197). Last spring, the Sea Lions under head coach Curt Wheeler, advanced to the NCAA postseason for the second consecutive year. Wheeler lost two players but returns Arianna Audelo (No. 1 / 7-15), Amanda Letzring (No. 4, 13-7), and Thelma Sepulveda (No. 5, 20-2). Letzring and freshman Quin Brady reached the quarterfinals of the ITA west regional last October in doubles.

Concordia, the team on the fourth rung of the preseason poll, has the top doubles tandem in the west region, at least based off of the 2023 ITA Fall West Regionals. Sophie Rachor and Tiffany Carrillo, who also played in the top two singles spots last year for the Golden Eagles, won the doubles championship in October. CUI went 16-5 a year ago with Rachor and Carrillo, along with Jessica Bear and Alicia Da Re. New coach Ellie Johnson has six returnees from a program that has qualified for the NCAA tournament the past two years.

Academy of Art is No. 5 in the preseason poll with 144 poll points. Head coach Nicole Biceno has five returning players who played in the top five spots on the singles ladder-- Jessica Plazas (So., No. 1/2, 7-4), Maria Vittoria Casucci (Jr., No. 1/2, 3-8), Viktoria Leth (Sr., No. 3/4/5, 8-4), Erica Hellbe (Jr., No. 3/4/5, 4-10), and Paulina Alvarez (Jr., No. 5/6, 12-2). Biceno, whose Urban Knights went 9-7 last year, also has three incoming freshmen expected to contend for spots.

Hawai`i Hilo was right behind ART U with 136 points and the No. 6 ranking. Head coach Kallen Mizuguchi has six players returning from a 10-10 squad including McKenna Mountain (2023 All-PacWest Third Team), Akari Ichikawa, Julia Barden, Hikari Osaki, and Nanami Okamoto. He has also two transfers in Satoho Toriumi (New Mexico) and Cami Oyama (Utah Tech). Toriumi went 29-15 in singles and 26-23 in doubles over three seasons with the Lobos.

Fresno Pacific (No. 7) is close behind the Vulcans with 126 poll points. Second-year coach Sam Gaeddert has six players returning from a team that went 12-8 last year. Nayuma Subba (No. 2, 9-7 in singles, 10-4 in No. 2/3 doubles) and Elise Leik (No. 4 / 5, 9-5 in singles, 9-4 in No. 2/3 doubles) lead that group of returnees. Subba reached the semifinals of the ITA singles tournament last fall. Biola is No. 8, just three poll points behind FPU with 123. Eagle head coach David Goodman lost five key players but does return Colbeyshae Emery, Gaby Carvajal, Brooke Fager, Alexandria Mann, and Lily McNeill. Mann and Fager had an impressive showing at the ITA west region doubles championships, reaching the final before falling to Concordia’s Rachor and Carrillo.

MSU Denver is next at No. 9 with 106 poll points. The Roadrunners were 14-10 last year, but lost their top three players on the ladder. First-year coach Bruno Campos does return Lilly Stienemeier (No. 3/4, 13-11), Hanna Haber (No. 4, 11-11), Kambra Roles (No. 5, 17-6), and Monica Guarin (No. 6, 11-3). Additionally, Campos has an outstanding transfer in Emily Hafner (Montevallo), who reached the ITA west region final in the fall. Hafner defeated some of the PacWest’s top players to reach the final before losing to Tudor (APU) in three sets. One point behind the Roadrunners with 105 poll points is Stanislaus State. Head coach Verek Visaraga has experience returning in Annabelle Mulick, Zuzanna Dziewiecka, and Emma Yu, along with Jessup transfer Nicolett Alexander. The Warriors, seeded No. 12 last year, made a surprising run in the 2023 PacWest tournament (3-1) to finish in fifth place.

Dominican is No. 11 with 93 poll points. Head coach Cristina Visico Hassanali returns eight players, including her top duo in Audrey Rafols (No. 1, 14-2) and Gina Dudley (No. 2, 8-5), along with Holy Names transfers Ana Rios and Deepalakshmi Varnaraja. Next is Colorado Mesa in 12^th (72 points). The Mavericks went 13-13 last year under veteran coach Dan MacDonald, and return seven players from that squad. That includes MacDonald’s top three players in Makenna Livingston, Issy Coman and Julianna Campos.

Cal State LA is No. 13, Westmont is No. 14 and Chaminade is 15. CSULA head coach Richard Gallien lost only one player and has his top three back in Sarah Olmos, Sakura Kurokawa, and Hidecka Takamura. Westmont, first-year PacWest members, return 10 from last year including top player Francesca Aguirre. Head coach Cade Pierson can also point to transfers Austine Stone (George Fox) and Valentin Dignac (Baker). Chaminade rounds out the list under 10^th year coach Ty Aki. The Silverswords return five players and will also have the services of Birmingham Southern transfer Sameera Elmasri, who is also a standout on the ‘Sword basketball team.

The PacWest teams do not play an official conference schedule, but many of the top teams will face off against each other before the PacWest Championships (April 17-20) in Surprise, Arizona. Only the top 12 teams in the conference will qualify for the tournament as determined by the PacWest selection committee, meaning teams will have to play their way into earning a berth.