SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The Pepperdine University women's tennis team has been selected to win the West Coast Conference crown for the upcoming 2020 season, the league office announced Wednesday. The annual preseason poll was voted on by the league coaches and ranks the ten-team field and top six players to start the campaign.
No. 6 Pepperdine is the unanimous selection to win its eight-consecutive title, garnering nine first place votes as conference policy prohibits coaches from casting a vote for their own team. The Waves again collected 81 points to take the top spot, a year after winning their seventh-straight WCC Championship and 15th title in the last 17 years. Waves seniors Jessica Failla and Ashley Lahey are represented on the six-person All-WCC Preseason team.
San Diego was the unanimous runner-up pick and collected 73 points in the preseason poll. Sophomore Solymar Colling, the reigning WCC Freshman of the Year, represents the Toreros on the All-WCC Preseason Women’s Team.
Loyola Marymount collected 62 points, Saint Mary’s collected 56 points and Gonzaga had 52 points as the three teams round out the top half of the poll in third, fourth and fifth, respectively. LMU junior Veronica Miroshnichenko and Saint Mary’s junior Mariia Kozyreva both earned spots on the six-person preseason team.
Brigham Young (36 points), Pacific (32 points), San Francisco (24 points), Santa Clara (22 points) and Portland (12 points) claim the sixth through tenth spots, respectively, to fill out the preseason poll. Santa Clara’s Maddie Pothoff claimed the final spot on the All-WCC Preseason team.
The 2020 WCC Women’s Tennis Championship will take place at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center in Claremont, Calif., April 23-25.
2020 WEST COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN’S TENNIS PRESEASON POLL
Team (First Place Votes) - Points
1. Pepperdine (9) - 81
2. San Diego (1) - 73
3. LMU - 62
4. Saint Mary’s - 56
5. Gonzaga - 52
6. BYU - 36
7. Pacific - 32
8. San Francisco - 24
9. Santa Clara - 22
10. Portland - 12
2020 ALL-WCC PRESEASON WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAM
Solymar Colling, San Diego, Soph.
Jessica Failla, Pepperdine, Gr.
Mariia Kozyreva, Saint Mary’s, Jr.
Ashley Lahey, Pepperdine, Sr.
Veronica Miroshnichenko, LMU, Jr.
Maddie Pothoff, Santa Clara, Sr.