Orange Set to Open 2026 Spring Season with Cornell, Fordham

Syracuse women's tennis is set to kick off its 2026 spring schedule this weekend with a pair of home matches at Drumlins Country Club. The Orange will face Cornell on Saturday at 11 a.m. before concluding the weekend against Fordham on Sunday, also at 11 a.m.

Head coach Younes Limam returns for his 12th season at the helm of the Orange, joined by new assistant coach Margarita Kotok in her first spring with the program. Syracuse brings a roster of 10 players into the spring season, featuring six returners and four newcomers.

Key Returners

Junior Nelly Knezkova leads the returning group after playing primarily at No. 2 singles last season, where she posted a 7-5 record in dual match play. She also competed at No. 1 singles, going 3-4 in that position.

Serafima Shastova returns after recording 12 singles wins last season, playing primarily as the No. 3 or 4 singles player. Shastova had an impressive fall campaign, reaching the finals of the ITA New England Regional Championships before falling to Harvard's Stephanie Yakoff. She also represented Syracuse at the NCAA Singles Championships.

Sophomore Monika Wojcik comes off an impressive debut campaign that saw her post a 12-4 singles record. Playing primarily at No. 6 singles, Wojcik went 5-1 in ACC dual singles matches. Other returners include seniors Constance Levivier and Anastasia Sysoeva, along with sophomore Haram Kim.

Fall Success

Syracuse stayed active during the fall season, competing in several events. The doubles tandem of Knezkova and Sysoeva reached the championship round of the ITA New England Regional Championships, defeating a pair of ACC opponents from Boston College in the semifinals before falling to Yale in the finals. The duo also represented Syracuse at the ITA East Sectional Championship, placing fourth in the doubles draw.

Last Season's Results

The Orange posted an 11-11 record in dual matches last spring, starting the season with a seven-match winning streak. Syracuse earned notable ACC victories, including a 4-3 home win over Florida State and a 4-3 road victory against Louisville.

In the ACC Tournament, Syracuse made a strong run by defeating Boston College in the opening round and upsetting No. 9 seed Clemson in the second round before falling to Georgia Tech in the third round.

Scouting Cornell

Cornell brings a 13-8 record from last season into Saturday's match, though the Big Red finished 2-5 in Ivy League play. Junior Michelle Ryndin, a Second Team All-Ivy League selection, was Cornell's top singles player with a 9-6 record at No. 1 singles. Ryndin also earned All-Ivy honors in doubles alongside sophomore Sage Loudon, who posted an 8-7 record in singles.

Syracuse leads the all-time series 29-10 and has won the past 10 meetings between the programs.

Scouting Fordham

Fordham enters Sunday's match after hosting Drexel on Friday. The Rams posted a 16-5 record in dual matches last spring and earned the top seed in the A-10 Tournament before falling in the semifinals to VCU.

Nevena Kolarevic headlines Fordham's lineup as the No. 1 singles player after going 13-0 last season, with 12 wins coming in the top singles position. The A-10 Most Outstanding Performer and First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection finished as the seventh-ranked singles player in the Northeast Region. This fall, Kolarevic and Julianne Nguyen became the first Rams to compete in the NCAA Doubles Championships.

Catalina Padilla, a Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selection, returns for her second season after posting a 9-4 record in dual matches.

Both matches begin at 11 a.m. at Drumlins Country Club.