CLEVELAND, OH – Kenyon has been tabbed as the favorite for the 2024 North Coast Athletic Conference women’s tennis season, based on votes submitted by the league coaches.
The Owls, on the hunt for their league-leading 21st NCAC crown, claimed five of the possible seven first-place votes to top the league poll with 47 points. The Denison Big Red are slotted second just three points behind the Owls after earning the final two first-place votes and 44 points. Denison was followed by Wooster (33), Wittenberg (26), and DePauw (20) in third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, while Oberlin (16) and Ohio Wesleyan (10) round out the seven-team field.
Last season, Kenyon recorded an overall record of 20-5, a perfect 6-0 mark in league play and earned the NCAC championship and tournament titles. The Owls return four all-conference selections from a season ago. Sophomore
Eleni Lazaridou (Veroia, Greece/4th Lyceum of Veria) returns to action after earning all three NCAC annual awards. Lazaridou was tabbed the 2023 NCAC Player and Newcomer of the Year, while she and sophomore
Allaire Berl (Westport, MA/St. Andrews School (DE)) were selected as the Doubles Team of the Year. Lazaridou and Berl went undefeated in conference doubles action at the top spot a season ago to earn an All-NCAC first-team selection. In singles action, Lazaridou produced a 19-1 record out of the No. 1 flight while Berl recorded a 17-5 mark from the top two flights, earning them first-team All-NCAC singles honors. Doubles duo, sophomore
Shadia Amado Aguad (Arequipa, Peru/Colegio Anglo Americano Presco) and senior
Eleni Dakos (Towaco, NJ/Newark Academy), will return this season after posting an 8-1 record from the second flight and earning All-NCAC second-team accolades. Additionally, Amado Aguad garnered second-team singles honors after she boasted a 14-3 record from the second, third, and fourth slots.
The 2024 season begins on Friday, January 26th, while the first league match is slated for Friday, March 1st. The NCAC Tournament will be held on Friday, May 3rd through Sunday, May 5th, hosted by The College of Wooster.
2024 North Coast Athletic Conference
Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points) |
| WOMEN |
| 1. |
Kenyon (5) |
47 |
| 2. |
Denison (2) |
44 |
| 3. |
Wooster |
33 |
| 4. |
Wittenberg |
26 |
| 5. |
DePauw |
20 |
| 6. |
Oberlin |
16 |
| 7. |
Ohio Wesleyan |
10 |