FARMINGTON, Utah — The Big Sky conference has released its 2026 preseason coaches' poll and Eastern Washington is slated at No. 8. 

Eastern earned 19 points, six behind Portland State for seventh and eight points above Weber State for ninth. 

The Eagles went 3-5 in the Big Sky in the 2024-25 season,going 5-13 overall and placing seventh in the conference. They had a 3-2 mark at home and 1-9 on the road, with 1-2 record in neutral matches. EWU closed last season on a high note, defeating Montana 6-1 on senior day. 

2025 Big Sky tournament champion, Sacramento State, was picked to win the conference, earning eight first-place votes. Northern Arizona won the regular season championship last season and was picked second with one first place vote.

During the '25 fall schedule, Eastern had three competitions, starting at the WSU Cougar Classic, followed by the ITA Northwest Regional and Gonzaga Invite. The Eagles posted strong results at the Cougar Classic, winning 8 of 11 doubles matches. Leandra Nizetic picked up three wins in singles, while freshman Aneliss Zamfirescu won two. 

Head coach Dustin Hinson is in his 14th season leading the Eagles and looks to return to the postseason. 

For his 2025-26 roster, Hinson returns five players from last season with three newcomers. The veteran Eagles include senior Anait Arutiunian, Olivia Marais, Nizetic, Zoe Pradel and Sara Vasic. Veronika Gayevyk, Maria Lopez and Zamfirescu joined the team in the fall. 

Pradel and Marais led Eastern doubles last season with five wins, including four in the Big Sky. For singles, Pradel and Arutiunian are the top returners with five wins each. Pradel had four in conference and Arutiunian had two. 

The dual schedule starts for Eastern on Friday (Jan. 16) at Gonzaga, with first serve at 4 p.m. from the Stevens Center in Spokane. The Eagles host Calgary for an exhibition match on Jan. 22. 

EWU's home opener will be on Feb. 15 against Utah State, starting at 10 a.m.

2026 Big Sky Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Sacramento State (8) – 64
2. Northern Arizona (1) – 56
3. Idaho – 50
4. Montana State – 39
5. Idaho State – 35
6. Montana – 26
7. Portland State – 24
8. Eastern Washington – 19
9. Weber State – 11

Parenthesis denotes first-place vote
 

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ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.

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