ATLANTA – Asbury women's tennis team has been selected as the projected leader in the 2025 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Women's Women's Tennis Preseason Poll. In their first year as a CCS member, the Eagles earned 48 points, including six first-place votes, as voted on by the league's eight head coaches.
Asbury enters the season fresh off a dominant 14-1 campaign, where they dropped just one match all year. The Eagles set a program record by winning their first 13 matches, marking the best start in school history. Leading the charge is Ariadna Zegarra, who posted an impressive 14-3 singles record and a 12-4 doubles mark. She will be joined by Martina Paillet and Kourtney Kawata, both of whom had standout seasons—Paillet finished 9-5 in both singles and doubles, while Kawata went undefeated in singles at 10-0.
Two-time defending CCS champion Piedmont lands at No. 2 in the poll, securing two first place votes, as they look to continue their dominance. The Lions have won an astonishing 43 consecutive conference matches dating back to 2018. Head Coach Trey Martin, the reigning CCS Coach of the Year, returns three key all-conference players in Alyssa McSpadden, Bri Laidman, and Jordan Ballard, all of whom played a pivotal role in last year's title run. Piedmont finished the 2024 season with a stellar 24-4 overall record, going undefeated in CCS play (7-0) before defeating Agnes Scott and Covenant to claim the conference championship.
Maryville earns the No. 3 spot in this year's preseason rankings after a historic season. The Scots finished 12-9 overall last season, marking their most wins in at least 20 years. Their .571 winning percentage was the best since 2015. A key returning duo is Abby Diggs and Alyssa Smith, who teamed up for a dominant 13-2 record at the No. 2 doubles position.
Covenant follows closely in fourth place with 33 points after advancing to the CCS Championship final last season. The Scots went 11-9 overall and 6-1 in CCS play before falling to Piedmont in the title match. Senior and first-team all-conference selection Lauren Carr returns to lead the team after an outstanding 2024 campaign, where she won seven of her last eight completed singles matches.
Huntingdon sits at No. 5 with 24 points, looking to bounce back from a first-round tournament exit. The Hawks return key doubles duo Taji Williams and Ella Hathcock, along with sophomore Natalie Tedesco.
Agnes Scott follows in sixth place (18 points) after finishing 4-12 overall and 4-5 in CCS play last season. The Scotties pulled off an opening-round upset over Huntingdon before falling to top-seeded Piedmont. They return three key contributors: Leilah Lewinson, Katherine Cox, and all-conference selection Iris Ray.
Belhaven takes seventh place (17 points), bringing back three key returners while looking for players to step into larger roles to make a push this season. LaGrange rounds out the poll in eighth place with six points.
Conference play kicks off on Wednesday, March 5, with conference teams taking to the court. Follow all the CCS women's tennis action with updated scores, schedules at standings at
www.collegiateconferenceofthesouth.com.
The 2025 CCS Women's Tennis Championship Tournament starts with the Top 6 teams on Thursday, April 24 and the championship game is scheduled for Saturday, April 26 hosted by the Chattanooga Champions Club.
Below is a look at the 2025 CCS Women's Tennis Preseason Poll. First-place votes are in parentheses:
2025 CCS WOMEN'S TENNIS PRESEASON POLL
| 1. Asbury |
48 (6) |
| 2. Piedmont |
44 (2) |
| 3. Maryville |
34 |
| 4. Covenant |
33 |
| 5. Huntingdon |
24 |
| 6. Agnes Scott |
18 |
| 7. Belhaven |
17 |
| 8. LaGrange |
6 |
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
Follow all things #CCSWTE on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram at @ccofsouth for all the latest news around the league.
