LEXINGTON, Va. - The Old Dominion Athletic Conference released its 2026 Women's Tennis Preseason Poll on Thursday and Washington and Lee was selected to win its 23rd consecutive ODAC championship.

The Generals claimed 11 of the 12 first-place votes and the maximum 121 total points to edge out Averett for the top spot. The Cougars were the recipients of the final first-place nod and tallied 111 points. Rounding out the Top 5 was Virginia Wesleyan (98 points), Randolph (79) and Shenandoah (72).

W&L is coming off its 22nd consecutive and 34th overall ODAC championship from the 2025 season, which included an 18-6 overall record and 10-0 conference mark. The Generals return four of their five All-ODAC players from a season ago, including the 2025 ODAC Player of the Year, Lauren Long, and Coach of the Year, Erin Ness. Ness enters her 14th season at the helm of the program with a record of 237-69 (.775).

2026 ODAC Women's Tennis Preseason Poll

1. Washington and Lee University (11) 121 pts.
2. Averett University (1) 111 pts.
3. Virginia Wesleyan University 98 pts.
4. Randolph College 79 pts.
5. Shenandoah University 72 pts.
6. University of Lynchburg 64 pts.
7. Guilford College 62 pts.
8. Randolph-Macon College 53 pts.
9. Sweet Briar College 53 pts.
10. Roanoke College 44 pts.
11. Bridgewater College 23 pts.
12. Hollins University 12 pts.

National Poll

As a team, the Generals will open their spring slate ranked 19th nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Individually, sophomore Sarah Donnelly leads the team as the 20th-ranked singles player in the Atlantic South Region. The Top 5 teams to open the 2026 spring are Washington (Mo.), UChicago, Pomona-Pitzer, Emory and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

To view the release schedule for all 2026 women's tennis team and individual rankings, click here.

2025-26 Schedule Overview

FALL RECAP
The Generals will enter their spring schedule with a 2-0 record after downing Virginia Wesleyan (9/28) and Asbury (9/28) by 7-0 scores in early October. Those matches came following the team’s participation at the ITA Southeast Region Championships, where fifth-seeded Sarah Donnelly and Grace Lorenz made a run to the quarterfinals of the championship doubles draw.

Prior to ITA weekend, the team opened their 2025-26 season at the Christopher Newport Invitational. In mock dual format, the Generals battled Mary Washington, CNU and Division I Longwood, and picked up 10 singles wins along the way.

SPRING OUTLOOK
The Generals have 18 matches on their spring schedule, split between nine at home and nine on the road, with a half-and-half split amongst ODAC and non-conference teams. Out of the 18 matches leading into ODAC Tournament play, nine feature opponents currently ranked in the ITA’s preseason poll.

Non-Conference Schedule:
After a season-opening ODAC match, the Generals will host the highly competitive Groundhog Palooza from February 20-22, where they welcome No. 22 Swarthmore, No. 18 Case Western Reserve and No. 24 Christopher Newport to campus. The Generals will play each of the three times one day at a time, with two neutral-site matches between Swarthmore/CNU and Swarthmore/CWRU.

The month of March will see four straight ranked matches for the Blue and White, hosting No. 39 Mary Washington (3/14) and No. 29 Whitman (3/17) before they hit the road for Atlanta to face No. 4 Emory (3/21) and No. 34 Colby (3/22). The Generals get back into ODAC play for their next four matches before they close the regular season at No. 14 Babson (4/23) and at No. 15 Tufts (4/24). 

ODAC Schedule:
Four of W&L’s nine remaining ODAC matches this season are currently scheduled to be played in Lexington. Those matches include hosting Shenandoah in the spring opener on February 13, Roanoke on February 24, Hollins on April 4 and Guilford on April 7. The Hollins match on February 4 will also serve as the Senior Day match for the program’s five graduating players.

The remaining ODAC matches are all on the road and consist of Lynchburg (2/24), Randolph-Macon (3/4), Averett (3/12), Sweet Briar (3/24) and Bridgewater (4/7).

POSTSEASON PLAY
The ODAC Tournament will commence on April 29, with quarterfinal matches being hosted by each of the Top 4 seeds in the conference. Both semifinal matches will then be hosted at W&L on May 2 at 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., with the championship match occurring the following day at 1:00 p.m.

NCAA Tournament matches will follow the next weekend from May 8-10 at sites to be determined that week. The NCAA quarterfinal, semifinal and championship rounds, as well as the singles and doubles championships, will all be hosted by Sewanee: The University of the South at the Champions Tennis Club in Chattanooga, Tenn., from May 18-25.

Key Returners

The Generals return four of their five All-ODAC players from a season ago, led by three-time defending ODAC Player of the Year Lauren Long. Long had her best season yet as a junior, going 16-2 in singles play to go along with an 11-5 mark in doubles. Long was ranked inside the national singles Top 20 for most of the season and earned her third consecutive selection to the NCAA Division III Singles Championship.

Sophomore Sarah Donnelly shined as a first-year, going 13-4 in singles play, including 8-3 at No. 4. Donnelly also collected 10 wins in doubles competition, most of which came at No. 2 with teammate Allie Murrell. Donnelly was second on last year’s team in singles wins, trailing only Long.

Senior Grace Lorenz looks to put a stamp on her career in 2026 after going 10-3 in singles competition as a junior to reach double-digit wins for the third straight season. She went 11-5 in doubles matches, playing all but two with Long as her partner at No. 1. Lorenz has also already been recognized by the ODAC this season when she and Donnelly were named the Doubles Team of the Week on September 30.

Murrell and senior Annie Jennings combined for 23 singles wins a season ago, with Murrell handling duties at No. 2. Murrell added nine wins in doubles competition, most of which came with Mary Kate Kahl (6-1), while Jennings won a team-best 13 doubles matches in 2025. Jennings proved to be a flexible option for the Generals in singles play, as she was the only player to compete in at least one match across all six positions. She also won at least once at all six, with high marks of 3-0 at both No. 1 and No. 3 get All-ODAC First Team at No. 3 singles.

Milestone Watch

Seniors Lauren Long and Grace Lorenz are both on 100-win watch entering the spring season. Long has posted a combined record of 97-31 in her career between singles and doubles play, with Lorenz at 86-35. Long did not compete during the fall season, while Lorenz went 4-1 in singles play and 3-3 in doubles.

Head Coach Erin Ness comes into the spring season needing 13 more wins to reach 250 for her tenure in Lexington. The Generals are also a perfect 131-0 in ODAC play in Ness's coaching.

Bringing a 1-0 ODAC record into the spring from their fall schedule, the Generals have won 344 consecutive ODAC matches and have produced 35 straight undefeated seasons in conference play. The streak dates back to a 6-3 loss to Sweet Briar on April 24, 1990.

New Faces on Staff

Leo Galarza is in his first season as the Assistant Women's Tennis Coach at Washington and Lee University for the 2025-26 season.

Galarza arrives in Lexington after most recently serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the Piedmont University men's and women's tennis programs. With his help, the Lions' women's team went 21-3 overall, while the men's program posted a 13-12 overall record. Both programs also appeared in their respective Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) championship matches in 2025.
 
For more information on the Generals' new assistant coach, click here.