Women's Tennis | 8/25/2026 12:48:00 PM
TRAFFORD, Pa. – Just months after capturing the program's first conference championship, Saint Francis women's tennis is getting ready to return to the court.
As Saint Francis prepares for its first season in the President's Athletic Conference, the 2026-27 season will look a little different.
Per league rules, the women's team will play its conference schedule in the fall while the men complete in the spring.
As Saint Francis continues its transition to Division III, the Red Wolves cannot compete for a championship and its matches against PAC schools will not count in the conference standings.
On Tuesday, the PAC unveiled its women's tennis preseason coaches' poll. After claiming their third title in four years, Allegheny College secured the top spot.
Last year's PAC runner-up Grove City placed second in the balloting. Saint Francis head coach
Eric Hovan can look at those schools as the benchmark as he prepares his team for the upcoming season.
Hovan returns five players from that NEC Championship team. Several of them were named to the league's Players to Watch List.
Sophia Cunningham | Jr. | Pittsburgh, Pa.
At one point, Cunningham was ranked by the ITA and recognized as the 81
st best doubles duo. She finished the 2025-26 season with a 13-9 doubles record. She was 7-4 singles.
Helena Lynn | So. | Bethlehem, Pa.
Lynn had a great freshmen campaign setting a program record with 28 wins. She won the match that clinched a 4-0 win over FDU in the NEC Championships. Lynn was a six-time NEC Rookie of the Week winner.
Reagen Mangan | Sr. | Goshen, N.Y.
Mangan's leadership and competitiveness will be valuable for Saint Francis. During the NEC Tournament she earned two singles victories and won all three doubles matches to help clinch the conference championship.
Morgan Tuffs | Jr. | Calgary, Alberta
Tuffs went 14-13 in singles play with a 9-5 mark at No. 6 singles last year. Tuffs also excelled in the classroom. She joined Mangan in earning College Sports Communicators All-District Honors.
Saint Francis kicks off the year Sept. 5th when the Red Wolves play at the IUP Invitational.
| 2026 PAC Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll (Predicted order of finish) |
| School (first-place votes) |
Points |
2025-26 record (conference) |
| 1. Allegheny College (9) |
73 |
16-7 (8-0 PAC) |
| 2. Grove City College (1) |
65 |
13-4 (7-1 PAC) |
| 3. Franciscan University |
52 |
10-8 (6-2 PAC) |
| 4. Washington & Jefferson College |
49 |
14-6 (5-3 PAC) |
| 5. Geneva College |
40 |
7-8 (4-4 PAC) |
| 6. Saint Vincent College |
33 |
12-13 (3-5 PAC) |
| 7. Westminster College |
31 |
3-9 (2-6 PAC) |
| 8. Waynesburg University |
17 |
8-9 (1-7 PAC) |
| 9. Thiel College |
9 |
0-14 (0-8 PAC) |
| Saint Francis University |
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16-9 (6-1 NEC) |
