SAN BRUNO, Calif. – San Diego has once again been selected as the favorite to win the 2026 West Coast Conference Men’s Tennis championship in the conference's preseason poll that was announced on Thursday.
The preseason poll and all-conference preseason team were selected solely by a vote of the conference's eight head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams and student-athletes.
San Diego received six first-place votes and 48 total points in the coaches poll. The Toreros were followed by Pepperdine, receiving 44 points and two first-place votes. Santa Clara was next in third with 37 points, followed by LMU in fourth with 29.
In the ITA preseason rankings, San Diego came in at No. 8 and Pepperdine at No. 23.
USD and Pepperdine earned all the representation on the league's six-player preseason team. The Waves featured four players while the Toreros boasted two players on the team.
San Diego defeated Pepperdine for the 2025 West Coast Conference Men's Tennis Tournament Championship. Hosting an NCAA regional for the first time in program history San Diego advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament while Pepperdine also reached the second round.
This is the fourth straight year in which Oliver Tarvet (San Diego) was named to the preseason team and the third consecutive preseason nod for Maxi Homberg (Pepperdine) and Edward Winter (Pepperdine). USD's Stian Klaassen was tabbed to the preseason team for the second straight year.
The 2026 season gets underway on Friday, Jan. 9 with Gonzaga competing in Hawaii. Most of the conference's teams get underway the following week.
2026 West Coast Conference Men's Tennis Preseason Poll
1. San Diego - 48 points (6)
2. Pepperdine - 44 (2)
3. Santa Clara - 37
4. LMU - 29
T-5. Pacific -20
T-5. Portland - 20
7. Gonzaga - 17
8. Saint Mary's - 9
2026 West Coast Conference Men's Tennis Preseason Team
Gustavo Ribeiro de Almeida, Pepperdine
Maxi Homberg, Pepperdine
Stian Klaassen, San Diego
Lasse Poertner, Pepperdine
Oliver Tarvet, San Diego
Edward Winter, Pepperdine