LANCASTER, Pa. – Defending champion Swarthmore has been chosen as the favorite to repeat in the 2026 Centennial Conference Women's Tennis Preseason Poll. The Garnet collected seven first-place votes and 63 points to land atop the voting among conference head coaches. 

Haverford earned the other two first-place nods and totaled 57 points as the projected runner-up. Franklin & Marshll was picked to finish in third place, while Dickinson (40) and Washington College (34) were also selected to make the playoffs in fourth and fifth place, respectively. 

Gettysburg was sixth in the voting with 28 points, followed by Bryn Mawr (25), Ursinus (17) and Muhlenberg (9). 

First serve for spring 2026 is slated for this Saturday, Feb. 14 with four Centennial teams in action. Conference play is slated to begin on Saturday, March 21 with the five-team CC tournament scheduled for April 28, April 30 and May 2 at the home court of each higher seeded team. 

2026 Centennial Conference Women's Tennis Preseason Poll

2025-26 Schedule | 2025 Championship | 2025 All-Centennial Team 

Swarthmore claimed its first Centennial Conference women's tennis title since 2006 last spring, defeating Franklin & Marshall 4-1 to earn the sixth CC crown in program history and fourth under head coach Jeremy Loomis. The championship match appearance was the first in program history for the runner-up Diplomats, snapping a seven-year streak in which the championship featured only Swarthmore, Haverford or Johns Hopkins. 

The Garnet went on to represent the CC in the NCAA Tournament, marking the seventh tournament appearance in program history and first since 2007. Swarthmore blanked Penn State Harrisburg 4-0 in the opening round before falling to Washington and Lee, 4-3, in round two. 

Swarthmore welcomes back a conference-best five All-Centennial performers this spring, including reigning Rookie of the Year Erin Li, who was a first team selection in both singles and doubles. Senior Kathleen Shiffer is the most decorated player returning to the CC this spring as a three-time All-Centennial performer, while Garnet junior Ella Strickler is the only other multi-time all-star in the conference, having earned that distinction twice. 

Dickinson (3), F&M (3), Haverford (2) and Washington College (2) each welcome back multiple all-conference players, while Bryn Mawr has one returning all-star. See below for the full list of returners with All-Centennial laurels to their names. 

Returning All-Centennial (16)

Sophie Fenster, Bryn Mawr, Sr. (2024 Second Team Singles, 2024 Second Team Doubles)

Jenna Crain, Dickinson, Jr. (2025 First Team Singles, 2025 Second Team Doubles)
Allison Steele, Dickinson, Sr. (2025 Second Team Singles)
Natasha Sharnoff, Dickinson, So. (2025 Second Team Doubles)

Sophia Rhazali, Franklin & Marshall, Jr. (2024 Honorable Mention Singles)
Sahara Ahmad, Franklin & Marshall, So. (2025 Honorable Mention Singles, 2025 Honorable Mention Doubles)
Natalie Untermeyer, Franklin & Marshall, So. (2025 Honorable Mention Singles, 2025 Honorable Mention Doubles)

Mallika Reddy, Haverford, So. (2025 First Team Doubles, 2025 Honorable Mention Singles)
Abhi Menon, Haverford, Sr. (2025 Second Team Doubles)

Kathleen Shiffer, Swarthmore, Sr. (2025 Second Team Singles, 2025 First Team Doubles, 2024 Second Team Singles, 2023 Second Team Singles)
Lola Diaz, Swarthmore, Sr. (2024 First Team Singles, 2024 First Team Doubles)
Ella Strickler, Swarthmore, Jr. (2025 Second Team Singles, 2025 Honorable Mention Doubles, 2024 Honorable Mention Singles)
Erin Li, Swarthmore, So. (2025 Rookie OTY, 2025 First Team Singles, 2025 First Team Doubles)
Riya Rao, Swarthmore, Sr. (2025 Honorable Mention Doubles)

Soleil Namunyola, Washington College, Sr. (2025 Second Team Singles, 2025 First Team Doubles)
Eva Kading, Washington College, Sr. (2025 First Team Doubles)