SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Yellowjacket women's tennis team was slated to finish second in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) North Division, as the conference released its annual preseason poll in an announcement Thursday.
Sitting atop the division is Northwestern, who compiled 23 points and four first-place votes. The Yellowjackets closely follow the Eagles with 21 points while also earning the final two first-place votes. Third place sees Minnesota Morris with 19 points and fourth place belongs to Martin Luther earning 11 points. Bethany Lutheran and Crown round out the division in a tie of fifth place, ending with eight points each.
The UMAC will once again partner with the Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) in 2024, featuring Greenville, Principia, Webster, and Mississippi.
Greenville was predicted to win the South Division title, earning eight points and two first-place votes. Principia (seven) and Webster (six) each picked up a first-place vote, while Mississippi rounds out the division with three points.
UWS welcomes six newcomers to the squad in 2024 and return five, featuring sophomores
Andreina Tejada (Quito, Ecuador/Isaac Newton),
Jessi Kukowski (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown) and
Brooke Wilfong (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Tech).
Tejada had a tremendous freshman season in 2023, securing both the UMAC Player and Rookie of the Year for her efforts on the court. Her singles record of 12-9 at the No. 1 position tied her for the most victories in program history, which featured a nine-match winning streak to cap her debut season. She also faired well in doubles play, earning a 10-9 mark in 2023.
Kukowski also returns for the Yellowjackets, who finished with a singles record of 12-4. One of her best performances in 2023 came during the week of Feb. 27, winning two singles matches and edging Wisconsin Lutheran in doubles action after securing the tiebreaker 7-5. For her efforts, she was named Athlete of the Week.
Wilfong returns for her sophomore season at UWS. The southpaw held a record of 9-14 in singles action and a doubles mark of 10-15. She started to find her groove towards the end of the campaign, going 5-1 in her last six doubles matches while partnering with five different teammates throughout the season.
The Yellowjackets return to the court Saturday to face off against Macalester. First serve is set for 2:30 p.m. inside Lifetime Tennis in Bloomington, Minn.
