YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | The Conference Carolinas has released its 2025–26 spring women's tennis preseason poll, with Young Harris College selected to finish seventh in the league standings. Lees-McRae and Erskine were tabbed as the preseason favorites to finish first. 

The Mountain Lions enter the spring season looking to build on a competitive Conference Carolinas campaign from a year ago, while returning a core group of experienced contributors under the direction of Director of Men's and Women's Tennis Marcy O'Connor. 

INSIDE THE POLL:

Young Harris concluded the 2025 spring season with a 9–15 overall record and a strong 6–4 mark in Conference Carolinas play. The Mountain Lions demonstrated the ability to compete consistently within the league, highlighted by multiple conference victories and a number of closely contested matches throughout the season. 

Conference play opened with a 5–2 victory over Converse on Feb. 27, before YHC earned a 6–1 road win at Chowan on March 15. The Mountain Lions added another conference victory with a 6–1 home win over North Greenville on March 21 and closed the regular season on a high note with a 7–0 Senior Day win against Shorter on April 16. 

Young Harris advanced to the Conference Carolinas Tournament, where the Mountain Lions opened with a dominant 4–0 victory over Francis Marion before losing a hard-fought battle to Barton (3-4) in the following round. 

Those results, combined with returning experience throughout the lineup, contributed to Young Harris being slotted seventh entering the 2025–26 spring campaign. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Young Harris returns key athletes who have proven themselves at the conference level. 

Maud Scholten, a sophomore from Den Bosch, Netherlands, earned Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year honors in 2025 and was also named an All-Conference Third Team selection, providing a strong foundation. 

Futaba Saito, a junior from Chita, Japan, brings elite conference credentials after earning Conference Carolinas All-Conference First Team honors during the 2025 season. 

Viviana Gomez, a returning junior from Guadalajara, Mexico, adds depth and competitiveness to the roster as the Mountain Lions prepare for the spring slate. 

LOOKING AHEAD:

With a seventh-place preseason projection and a roster featuring proven conference performers, the Mountain Lions will look to make a run this season as they prepare for the Conference Carolinas Championship later in the spring.