PULLMAN, Wash. (Feb. 5, 2026) – The Washington State Women's Tennis team begins a four-match road swing this weekend when it heads to Northern California for matches at Sacramento State and UC Davis. The Cougars start Friday at Sacramento State at Noon in Sacramento, Calif., before heading 15 miles west to face UC Davis Saturday at 11 a.m. in Davis Calif.
 
SCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE: The Hornets are of a 2-2 start on the young season, with wins over Hawaii Pacific and Saint Mary's, to go with two close losses to Hawaii. Last season, Sacramento State posted a 21-4 record, winning the Big Sky Conference and reaching the NCAA Chammpiosnhips where it lost to perennial power California. WSU Leads the all-time series, 5-4, including a 7-0 win in Pullman during the 2013 season, the last time these teams have met.
 
SCOUTING UC DAVIS: The Aggies are off to a 2-5 start playing a very difficult early-season schedule against the likes of Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State and UC Santa Barbara. UC Davis has wins over Pacific and Jessup University entering the match with WSU. Last season, the Aggies finished with an 11-14 record and reached the second round of the Big West Tennis Championships. WSU leads the all-time series, 2-0, the first meeting, a 6-3 WSU win in San Francisco during the 1994 season, and a 7-0 Coug victory last season in Pullman. 
 
COUGS MISS ITA KICKOFF WEEKEND: Due to expected severe weather this weekend in the southeastern part of the country, Washington State Women's Tennis did not travel to Athens, Ga. for the 2026 ITA Kickoff Weekend Georgia Regional last weekend. The Cougars were scheduled to face San Diego State in the first round while No. 1 Georgia was set to host Maryland. WSU, Maryland and San Diego State all cited safety concerns with travel and elected not to make the trip.
 
PORTLAND STATE AND EASTERN WASHINGTON ADDED TO 2026 SCHEDULE: After missing two matches due to weather concerns at the ITA Kickoff Weekend, Washington State has added two opponents to the spring schedule. The Cougars will now host Portland State on February 20 and Eastern Washington on March 21,
 
COUGARS PICKED THIRD IN WCC PRESEASON POLL: WSU was picked third in the 2026 West Coast Conference Women's Tennis preseason poll, voted on by the conferences' 10 head coaches. Defending champion Pepperdine garnered the top spot in the preseason poll, receiving eight of the 10 first-place votes, to finish ahead of San Diego, which garnered the other two first-place votes. Washington State was third, followed by Loyola Marymount and Gonzaga to round out the top five. Cougar seniors Eva Alvarez Sande and Maxine Murphy were both named to the 2026 WCC Preseason Team, accounting for two of the six members. 
 
NEXT UP: Following Saturday's match at UC Davis, the Cougars will head to Utah for matches at BYU (Feb. 13) and Utah (Feb. 14).
 
LAST TIME OUT: In their last match, the Cougars opened its 2026 home schedule with a convincing 4-0 victory over Fresno State in Pullman. WSU Did not lose a set in the win.
 
COUGARS TO PLAY IN WEST COAST CONFERENCE: For the 2025-26 seasons, the Cougars will be an affiliate member of the West Coast Conference. When conference realignment impacted the Pac-12 Conference following the 2023-24 season, Cougar Tennis was one of 10 WSU athletic programs to become WCC affiliate members. This season marks the second of two seasons in the WCC before the Pac-12 resumes full-membership status beginning with the 2026-27 season.
 
COUGARS SIGN JOLYNN GARRETT: In early January, Washington State University Tennis announced a new team member, signing 10-year-old JoLynn Garrett through Team IMPACT. JoLynn, who is navigating life with Williams syndrome, officially signed with the team. She will participate in many activities with Washington State Tennis, including games, practices, and other team events, over the next two years.
 
ROSTER BREAKDOWN: For the 2025-26 season, the Cougar roster consists of seniors Maxine Murphy and Eva Alvarez Sande, juniors Yura Nakagawa and Zali Morris, sophomores Chisato Kanemaki, Martina Puvill and Haylee Conway, and freshman Ava-Monet Sycamore.
 
HEAD COACH JOSH GRAETZ: Josh Graetz became the program's ninth head coach in the summer of 2025 after spending the previous two seasons as the Cougars' assistant coach. Graetz played a key role in WSU's run to the 2025 National Invitational Tournament title. Prior to WSU, Graetz served as the head coach for both men's and women's programs at Metropolitan State University in Denver, his alma mater.
 
FOLLOW THE COUGARS: Keep up with Washington State tennis by following @WSUCougarTennis on Twitter, @wsucougartennis on Instagram, and Washington State Cougar Tennis on Facebook.