NASHVILLE, Tenn. — No. 18 Vanderbilt women’s tennis is set for its first dual matches of 2026 as the team hosts Western Kentucky and Belmont in a home doubleheader at the Lummis Family Tennis Center on Saturday.
The Dores begin the year in the preseason top-25 team rankings for the fourth consecutive season under head coach Aleke Tsoubanos. Vandy matches up against the Western Kentucky (0-1) to kick off the action on Saturday. It will be just the fourth meeting between the two programs, with the black and gold owning a 2-1 record against the Hilltoppers. Vanderbilt earned a 7-0 victory in their last meeting in 2021. A crosstown matchup with Belmont is set to follow in the season opener for the Bruins. The Dores hold a 3-0 all-time record in the series, winning the three matches by a combined score of 19-1.
Multiple players currently represent Vanderbilt in the ITA individual rankings. Graduate Célia-Belle Mohr and sophomore Sophia Webster lead the way for the Commodores at No. 2 in the doubles rankings. In November, the pair advanced to the program’s first doubles final at the NCAA Doubles Championship in Orlando, Florida. Senior Bridget Stammel and junior Valeria Ray are just behind at No. 13, and the freshmen duo of Erin Pearce and Mia Yamakita round out the Commodores in doubles at No. 46. In singles, Ray is at a career-high No. 17 ranking, with Stammel following at No. 33 and Yamakita at No. 36. Yamakita became the program’s first freshman to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship.
Vanderbilt hosts Western Kentucky at 11 a.m. before facing Belmont at 4 p.m. Live streaming will be available online with live stats accessible via IonCourt before each match start. For more information, updates and exclusive game day content, follow the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team, @VandyWTennis, on Instagram and X.
