SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Pepperdine has been selected as the favorite to win the 2026 West Coast Conference Women’s Tennis regular season title 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 10 head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams and student-athletes.
 
Pepperdine received eight first-place votes and 80 total points in the conference poll. The Waves were followed by San Diego and Washington State, with USD earning the other two first-place votes along with its 74 points. 

In the ITA preseason rankings, Pepperdine came in at No. 21. 

Pepperdine defeated San Diego to claim its 11th consecutive West Coast Conference Women’s Tennis Tournament Championship in 2025. The Waves advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament while WSU won the UTR Sports NIT Championship. USD snapped the Waves' 83-match conference winning streak and won a share of the regular season title. 

Pepperdine, San Diego and Washington State all earned two representatives on the preseason team. 

Eva Alvarez Sande is a repeat preseason team honoree for the Cougars. 
 
The 2026 season gets underway on Tuesday, Jan. 13. 

2026 West Coast Conference Women's Tennis Preseason Poll  
1. Pepperdine - 80 points (8)
2. San Diego - 74 (2)
3. Washington State - 65
4. LMU - 54
5. Gonzaga - 44
6. Saint Mary's - 40
7. Portland - 33
8. Santa Clara - 32
9. Pacific - 17
10. Seattle U - 11

2026 West Coast Conference Women's Tennis Preseason Team
Anastasiia Grechkina, Pepperdine
Alexia Harmon, Pepperdine
Charlotte Keitel, San Diego
Maxine Murphy, Washington State
Hannah Read, San Diego
Eva Alvarez Sande, Washington State