The Presbyterian College women’s tennis team is set to begin its 2026 dual match season with two matches in Greenville, South Carolina. The Blue Hose will face Furman on Saturday, January 17 at 3:00 p.m., followed by a match against Austin Peay on Sunday, January 18 at 11:00 a.m. Both matches will be held at the Mickel Tennis Center.
Live streaming will be available for both matches over the weekend, while live scoring will only be provided for Saturday’s contest against Furman.
Presbyterian was ranked third in the Big South Conference’s annual preseason poll. The team brings back five players from last season: M.C Dailey, McKenzie Davis, Mary Ellen Longmire, and Sofia Rodrigo Hidalgo. Four newcomers have joined the squad this year—freshmen Katherine Bauer, Ladina Bruhin, and Luciana Parrilli; sophomore Roxana Valdes; and sophomore transfer Grace Katzman from North Greenville University.
McKenzie Davis received First Team All-Big South honors in singles last season after playing all her matches on the top court. She was also named Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year and twice earned Player of the Week recognition. Davis and Mary Ellen Longmire were awarded Second Team All-Conference Doubles honors in 2025 after achieving an 11-4 record as a pair.
Last year, Longmire recorded seven singles wins—the second highest on the team—and Presbyterian finished with an overall record of 6-17 and a conference mark of 2-3.
In October, McKenzie Davis and Ladina Bruhin won the Big South Fall Doubles Championship as the No. 3 seed by defeating Charleston Southern’s Marina Skegro and Carlota Farres in the final. Their victory secured them automatic entry into the ITA Conference Masters Championships in San Diego where they reached the round of 16.
Head coach Joel Roberts begins his seventh season leading Presbyterian women’s tennis this spring. The Blue Hose are scheduled to play 22 dual matches during this campaign—including hosting 13 contests at their home courts in Clinton.
Furman enters Saturday’s match having won all three previous meetings with Presbyterian. Last season Furman posted a record of 21-4 overall, claimed its twenty-second Southern Conference Championship title with a league mark of 10-1, but lost to No. 21 UCF in NCAA Tournament play. Sasha Dimitrov and Lillie Murphy are currently ranked No.16 nationally in doubles according to ITA rankings; another Paladins duo holds a No.39 ranking.
Sunday marks Austin Peay’s first-ever meeting with Presbyterian College as well as their opening match for this spring season; last year Austin Peay went 8-14 overall with a conference record of 4-5.
The Blue Hose return home next Saturday (January 24) for a doubleheader against Converse at 10:00 a.m., followed by Lander at 2:00 p.m., both at Templeton Center Tennis Courts.
