CHENEY — The Big Sky Conference has released the 2026 womens tennis preseason coaches poll, with the Eastern Washington Eagles ranked eighth. According to a statement by EWU Athletics, they earned 19 points in voting.  

The Eagles went 3-5 in the Big Sky in the 2024-25 season, going 5-13 overall and placing seventh in the conference, the statement said. They had a 3-2 mark at home and 1-9 on the road, with 1-2 record in neutral matches. EWU closed last season on a high note, defeating Montana 6-1 on senior day.  

According to a statement by the Big Sky Conference, coaches who voted to decide the rankings tabbed Sacramento State to win the conference in 2026, as the Hornets look to three-peat in their final season as members of the league.  Northern Arizona won the regular season championship last season and was picked second with one first place vote. 

During the '25 fall schedule, Eastern had three competitions, starting at the WSU Cougar Classic, followed by the ITA Northwest Regional and Gonzaga Invite. The Eagles posted strong results at the Cougar Classic, winning 8 of 11 doubles matches. Leandra Nizetic picked up three wins in singles, while freshman Aneliss Zamfirescu won two.  

Head coach Dustin Hinson is in his 14th season leading the Eagles and looks to return to the postseason.  

For his 2025-26 roster, Hinson returns five players from last season with three newcomers. The veteran Eagles include senior Anait Arutiunian, Olivia Marais, Nizetic, Zoe Pradel and Sara Vasic. Veronika Gayevyk, Maria Lopez and Zamfirescu joined the team in the fall.  

Pradel and Marais led Eastern doubles last season with five wins, including four in the Big Sky. For singles, Pradel and Arutiunian are the top returners with five wins each. Pradel had four in conference and Arutiunian had two.  

The dual schedule starts for Eastern on Friday (Jan. 16) at Gonzaga, with first serve at 4 p.m. from the Stevens Center in Spokane. The Eagles host Calgary for an exhibition match Jan. 22.  

EWU's home opener will be on Feb. 15 against Utah State, starting at 10 a.m. 

According to the Big Sky Conference, the 2026 Big Sky Conference Women’s Tennis Championship will take place April 23-25 in Phoenix, Ariz. The single-elimination tournament will feature six teams, with the top two seeds receiving a bye into the semifinal round. The winner of the championship will receive the Big Sky's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Women's Tennis Tournament. 

2026 Big Sky Women’s Tennis Preseason Coaches’ Poll: 

Rank, team, points 

1: Sacramento State, 64
2: Northern Arizona, 56
3: Idaho, 50
4: Montana State, 39
5: Idaho State, 35
6: Montana, 26
7: Portland State, 24
8: Eastern Washington, 19
9: Weber State, 11