2026 IS A NEW CHALLENGE FOR PLNU WOMEN'S TENNIS

(SAN DIEGO) Instead of looking to defend its first ever PacWest title, or match its best postseason run in program history, PLNU Women’s Tennis is viewing the upcoming season as a new challenge.

“We look at it more of a new challenge,” Head Coach Curt Wheeler said of the team’s mindset going into the 2026 season. “If you’re trying to defend something or hold onto something, sometimes you have a sense that there's extra pressure or expectations. Our mindset is we want to go earn it.

“One thing I've told them is that with the great years we've had the last two years, in every match we go out everyone wants to beat you even a little bit more. We want to embrace that as a challenge that we're getting everyone's best match, best effort. We're ready for it and we love that challenge. It’s going to make us better.”

Point Loma achieved many program firsts a season ago, winning its first PacWest title before claiming first ever victories in the NCAA West Regional and NCAA Championships. PLNU’s national quarterfinal finish is its best NCAA postseason finish all-time.

“Last year was amazing and we had a great group,” Wheeler said. “I think it was a little bit of a product also of the previous year of the success that we had and we continued to build on it. I see it very similarly going into this year. We lost some strong players but we also added some strong players.

“The strong core that we have returning from this previous year has done a great job of leading the team in the direction that we want to go and the new players that have come in and have fit in great. We're all excited and we all have very high expectations for this season.”

The hope for the Sea Lions is that last year’s historic season is just a steppingstone for things to come.

“Talent and capability are always one thing but getting the result that you know that you're capable of is another,” Wheeler said. “Last year was a big moment for the women's team. We've certainly had the talent over the last few years and lost a couple close matches at the end of the year that didn't go our way, but this last year we were able to win those matches.

“[It helped] from a confidence perspective but then also just an expectation of we expect to be making deep runs into the postseason every year, not just a one-year thing. That mindset is huge because you have to believe in it first before it happens.”

Returning for the Sea Lions is All-PacWest performer Alina Kupfer, who won the ITA West Regional singles title in the fall.

“She played the majority of her matches at No. 1 singles and was successful there,” Wheeler said. “She had some big wins at the end of the year, and this fall she took another step forward in her ability. She's always had great ability and this fall in that tournament she put together a great run of consistency and showed what she's capable of.

“She’s surely going to be one of the top players in the conference this spring and she's excited. She's ready for that challenge and that expectation of every match she goes out, people feeling like she's the one that they want to go beat. From a leadership perspective, she's embraced being the senior on the team and has a lot of experience playing college tennis, so she's in a great spot to help the team out a lot.”

The Sea Lions also bring back three juniors in Anna Pallencaoe, Emely Valencia and Melissa Zirkle.

Pallencaoe was named the PacWest Championships Most Outstanding Player a season ago before reaching the singles semifinals at the ITA West Regional, while Valencia was voted ITA West Regional Most Improved Player last year.

“All three have been on the team since their freshman year and they've all been big contributors,” Wheeler said. “They have a lot of experience in big matches, so when it's a match in the conference tournament or a match against a rival during the season or postseason, they have a lot of confidence that they're going to step up and play their best tennis.”

PLNU also welcomes junior transfers Zoe Moley (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) and Perla Conde Vendrell (Emporia State).

“They have a lot of experience with college tennis at different places, but both have been high-level players,” Wheeler said. “They’re going to be ready to contribute from day one and they’ve fit in great. It's been exciting to see how quickly they've gotten comfortable but also how confident they are playing on this team.”

Point Loma, picked first in the PacWest Preseason Poll, opens its 2026 season at home on Saturday at 3 p.m. against Occidental.

PLNU will also face off with a pair of NCAA Division I opponents (Bowling Green, Colgate) and against all three other teams who competed in the NCAA West Regional last season – Azusa Pacific, Biola and Hawai’i Pacific.

“All those matches will be very competitive, very tough matches,” Wheeler said. “Those are the ones that determine where you are in the standings, so I know the team will be focused and take seriously every match that we play. Those are definitely ones that will be very important in terms of potential regional playoffs and seeding.”

After eight-consecutive matches on the PLNU Tennis Courts, Point Loma will finish off its regular season with four-straight matches away from home before the top-eight seeds in the PacWest will compete in the PacWest Championships (April 15-17).

The conference champion will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA West Regional (May 8-9) with the hopes of advancing to the NCAA Championships (May 19-23) in Surprise, Arizona, the same host as the PacWest Tournament.

For the team’s full schedule, click HERE.