The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and Commissioner Dan Mara has released the results of the 2026 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday.
In voting done by the league's seven head coaches, Chestnut Hill College ranked sixth in the forecasted standings with 12 total points. Queen's College who joined the league as an associate member for women's tennis in 2026 topped this year's poll with 36 points, capturing six first place votes.
Thomas Jefferson University, which won last year's CACC regular-season championship, finished second in the balloting with 29 points. After capturing its fifth consecutive CACC tournament title, Wilmington gained the other first-place vote and was chosen for third place with 27 points.
The University of the District of Columbia was picked to finish fourth with 21 points, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas College in fifth with 16 points. UDC and STAC are joining Queens as new CACC associate members this season. Chestnut Hill College (6th, 12 points) and Post University (7th, 5) complete the poll.
The Griffins reached the conference tournament semi-finals for seventh consecutive season in 2025, posting a 4-6 conference record.
Leading the way for this year's squad two-time all-conference athlete Lilian Bandel. Bandel was a combined 13-6 in conference matches last season including an 8-1 effort in conference play at #4 singles. Senior Elena Arenas Guisasola, also a 2025 all- conference selection, returns to this year's squad for her senior year after winning a combined 17 matches at singles and doubles last season.
Sophomores Milica Zagorac and Veronika Lundgren round out the returnees. Lundgren recorded ten combined conference wins at singles and doubles while Zagorac had eight.
The regular season and conference play begins on September 9 when the Griffins travel to University of the District of Columbia. At the end of the fall season, the top four teams in the standings will qualify for the CACC Championship tournament, to be hosted by Wilmington from Oct. 17-18 at Delcastle Tennis Center in Wilmington, Del. The CACC champion will automatically qualify for the 2027 NCAA East Region Championship in May.
2026 CACC WOMEN'S TENNIS PRESEASON COACHES POLL
(First-place votes in parentheses)
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1.
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Queens College (6)
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36 pts.
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2.
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Thomas Jefferson University
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29
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3.
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Wilmington University (1)
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27
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4.
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University of the District of Columbia
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21
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5.
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St. Thomas Aquinas College
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16
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6.
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Chestnut Hill College
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12
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7.
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Post University
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6
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