Rock Hill, S.C.----The defending regular season SAC champion Wingate University Bulldogs are the preseason favorites in the South Atlantic Conference women's tennis poll, which was released Friday morning. The poll is voted on by the league's head coaches, with Wingate getting 10 of 12 first-place votes. In addition, five Bulldogs have earned preseason All-SAC accolades.
Elena Gunfaus,
Suzuka Sambyakugari and
Alex Lopez are all preseason second team all-conference singles selections. The duo of
Chloe Kosmrlj and Lopez earn first team All-SAC doubles accolades, along with Gunfaus and
Saga Berggren.
The Bulldogs are coming off another impressive season, going 16-7 overall and 11-1 in SAC play to earn the regular season SAC title for the 10th time in the last 11 years. The 'Dogs advanced to the SAC Tournament championship match and earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the fourth straight season and 17th time in program history.
Gunfaus compiled an 11-8 record in singles play last year, going 9-2 in the SAC. She was 8-6 at three singles, adding two wins at number two singles and a 1-0 mark at number one singles. Gunfaus is the 11th-ranked singles player in the Southeast Region.
Lopez posted a 16-5 singles record in her first year at Wingate in 2022, going 10-2 in league play. She was 11-3 at number four singles, adding three wins at five singles while also picking up a win at two and three singles.
Sambyakugari led the 'Dogs with 19 wins last year, posting a 19-2 record in singles play with a perfect 11-0 mark against SAC opponents. She was 17-2 at six singles, adding a win at three and five singles. Sambyakugari is the 13th-ranked singles player in the region.
The duo of Kosmrlj and Lopez went 8-3 last season, with an 8-1 record in league play. They were 6-3 at number two doubles, adding a win at one and three doubles. The Gunfaus/Berggren duo posted a 9-8 record last year, going 6-5 in league play. They were 8-5 at three doubles and 1-0 at number one doubles.
Wingate opens the season at home Saturday, Feb. 4, hosting West Virginia State at 1 p.m. The 'Dogs hit the road for their next five matches before returning home to host Charleston on Sunday, March 5.
2023 SAC Women's Tennis Preseason Poll
| Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Wingate (10) |
139 |
| 2 |
Newberry (1) |
123 |
| 3 |
Tusculum (1) |
115 |
| 4 |
Anderson (1) |
108 |
| 5 |
Carson-Newman |
103 |
| 6 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
90 |
| 7 |
Limestone |
76 |
| 8 |
Lincoln Memorial |
71 |
| 9 |
Catawba |
56 |
| 10 |
Mars Hill |
52 |
| 11 |
Coker |
44 |
| 12 |
UVA Wise |
20 |
| 13 |
Emory & Henry |
17 |
2023 SAC Women's Tennis Preseason All-Conference
First Team Doubles
Chloe Kosmrlj/Alex Lopez, Wingate
Elena Gunfaus / Saga Berggren, Wingate
Tabitha Howe/Elodie Baechler, Tusculum
Second Team Doubles
Anna Greer/Mariam Bayatyan, Anderson
Jessica Binzari & Sydnee Foster, Coker
Katie Robeson/Alex Braithwaite, Anderson
Third Team Doubles
Amanda Kadiri/Elana Mackey, Mars Hill
Angelina Krieg & Tamara Macias, Coker
First Team Singles
Zulay Castaneda, Newberry
Nastassia Chamoun, Newberry
Anna Greer, Anderson
Jessica Binzari, Coker
Tabitha Howe, Tusculum
Evgeniya Pugina, Lenoir-Rhyne
Second Team Singles
Elena Gunfaus, Wingate
Suzuka Sambyakugari, Wingate
Alex Lopez, Wingate
Anamaria Kiszner-Luca, Limestone
Jessica Binzari, Coker
Anita Chornei, Carson-Newman
Third Team Singles
Leonie Floeth, Tusculum
Mariam Bayatyan, Anderson
Natasha Forrest, Carson-Newman
Katie Robeson, Anderson
Summer Reeves, Carson-Newman
Alex Braithwaite, Anderson
