ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Lenoir-Rhyne Women’s Tennis Team was picked to finish eighth in the 2024 SAC Preseason Women’s Tennis Poll released on Friday.
For individual accolades, the Bears had two doubles pairs named to the second team. The first duo was freshman Runa Muderrisoglu and senior Alicia Wahlberg. The two won their first collegiate match together against Shaw on Oct. 21, which was a 6-3 result.
Alicia Wahlberg went 13-7 in No. 1 doubles, playing alongside Lucy Whelan in the 2022-23 season. The pair were named First Team All-SAC Doubles.
The second duo was junior Evgeniya Pugina and freshman Nellie Wahlberg. The two won their first collegiate match together against Shaw on Oct. 21, which was a 6-1 result. Pugina went 7-10 in No. 2 doubles in the 2022-23 season
In addition to her doubles recognition, Pugina was also named to first team singles. The Omsk, Russia native posted a 14-3 record in No. 1 singles and was named 2022-23 All-SAC Second Team Singles.
While the two of them were picked together on the same doubles team, Alicia Wahlberg and Muderrisoglu each picked up a spot on third team singles.
Alicia Wahlberg, who mostly competed at the No. 2 singles spot in 2022-23, posted an 11-9 record. The tally marked the second-straight season that Stockholm, Sweden had a winning record in singles.
Muderrisoglu, a native of Duzce, Turkey, won her first collegiate singles match against Shaw on Oct. 21, which was a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the No. 2 singles line.
The Lenoir-Rhyne Women’s Tennis Team will officially resume its 2023-24 campaign on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Mount Olive.
2024 SAC Women’s Tennis Poll
| Rank | School (First Place Votes) | Score |
| 1 | Wingate (11) | 142 |
| 2 | Tusculum | 119 |
| 3 | Newberry (1) | 106 |
| T-4 | Anderson (1) | 104 |
| T-4 | Catawba | 104 |
| 6 | Limestone | 93 |
| 7 | Carson-Newman | 81 |
| 8 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 78 |
| 9 | Lincoln Memorial | 61 |
| 10 | Coker | 50 |
| 11 | Mars Hill | 38 |
| 12 | UVA-Wise | 20 |
| 13 | Emory & Henry | 18 |
2024 SAC Women’s Tennis Preseason All-Conference
First Team Doubles
Natasha Forrest/Summer Reeves, Carson-Newman
Chloe Kosmrlj/Suzuka Sambyakugari, Wingate
Elodie Baechler/Valentina Loretz, Tusculum
Second Team Doubles
Sofia Hernandez/Ami Miya, Catawba
Runa Muderrisoglu/Alicia Wahlberg, Lenoir-Rhyne
Evgeniya Pugina/Nellie Wahlberg, Lenoir-Rhyne
Third Team Doubles
Sophia Cardenas/Margarita Nikonorova, Newberry
Emma Arnal/Alexa Gamborino-Suarez, Newberry
Anamaria Kiszner-Luca/Monika Temkova, Limestone
First Team Singles
Fernanda Castillo, Wingate
Anita Chornei, Carson-Newman
Anamaria Kiszner-Luca, Limestone
Chloe Kosmrlj, Wingate
Evgeniya Pugina, Lenoir-Rhyne
Suzuka Sambyakugari, Wingate
Second Team Singles
Miya Ami, Catawba
Elodie Baechler, Tusculum
Sofia Cardenas, Newberry
Natasha Forrest, Carson-Newman
Valentina Loretz, Tusculum
Paulina Loretz, Tusculum
Third Team Singles
Ylva Frafjord Landa, Tusculum
Elana Mackey, Mars Hill
Runa Muderrisoglu, Lenoir-Rhyne
Aina Miralles, Newberry
Margarita Nikonorova, Newberry
Alicia Wahlberg, Lenoir-Rhyne