MEDFORD, MA (September 11, 2025) -- The Tufts University women's tennis team comes into the 2025-26 season with something valuable and important, but something that doesn't come easy: experience. This year's group returns all but one letter winner from a season ago, a year that ended with the Jumbos going 16-7 along with a trip to the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
When looking at the returning group, Tufts brings back it's entire starting lineup in both singles and doubles. The returning letter winner contingent brings back 13 players off of a team that won over 65 percent of its singles' matches and 64 percent in doubles.
Tufts had a strong 2024 fall campaign which translated to a strong start in the spring, as the Jumbos started the spring 9-0 including a 5-2 win over a strong MIT squad and a 4-3 win over New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) foe Williams College.
The Jumbos though would finish strong down the stretch, winning four of the last six matches of the regular season before knocking off Nichols College in the NCAA Tournament First Round.
There is a lot of excitement coming into the 2025-26 season, as the Jumbos will look to take the next step as a more seasoned, battle-tested squad.
In singles, leading the way for the Jumbos are their top two performers from a season ago in senior
Ellie Gershaw and sophomore
Melanie Woodbury. Gershaw was 12-10 on the season in her first season as a Jumbo, going 3-3 at the No. 1 spot while adding six wins at the No. 2 position. Woodbury played 12 of her 17 dual matches at the top spot, going 16-10 overall on the season. Both should be important pieces at the top of the lineup again.
Seniors
Lucy Mitchell and
Rachel Cranley played the majority of their time at the No. 3 and No. 4 spot last year, and both are back after nursing injuries a season ago. Cranley has played near or at the top of the lineup during her career, and has a ton of experience in big matches. Mitchell has also been a consistent starter at Tufts, and went 10-5 in dual matches a season ago.
Now sophomore
Athena Li had a strong campaign last year in her first season, as she tied for the team lead in wins with 16. She was 9-1 in NESCAC play last season, and was 14-5 in dual matches including a nine-match win streak.
Now junior
Natalie Hu played up and down the lineup for Tufts a season ago, and was a solid 8-5 and 10-7 overall on the season. Hu was one of the top Jumbo players as a first-year, and will be looking for another strong season for as a junior.
Senior
Nikki Kintiroglou had a very strong season for the Jumbos, especially in the spring as she was 8-2 overall while adding an unblemished 7-0 mark in dual matches as well as a 3-0 NESCAC record.
Evelina Anastasi was also solid in limited action, going 8-3 overall and 5-0 in dual matches.
Senior
Steffy Jullian and sophomore
Ryan Wuhrman had limited action in dual matches, but were both very successful as they combined to go 5-2 in singles' play a season ago.
Tufts welcomes in a relatively small newcomer group to this year's team, understandable with such a large, returning squad coming back. This year's recruiting class was ranked No. 8 by TennisRecruiting.net, highlighted by four-star recruit
Kyra McCandless from nearby Lexington, MA. She is joined by three-star recruits
Claudia Grove from Los Angeles and
Alyssa Khou from Georgia, as the group should help bolster a solid lineup.
In doubles, senior
Stephanie Woodbury returns as one of the top doubles' players in the NESCAC. Woodbury posted 10 wins last year, including six wins at the top spot. Hu led the Jumbos with 14 doubles wins last season overall, as she was one of six players with double-digit wins.
Bindas went 11-3 in dual matches last season in doubles, including five NESCAC wins, while Kintiroglou was 9-1 at No. 3 and 12-4 overall in doubles. Li chalked up 13 doubles' victories, and
Melanie Woodbury also chalked up 11 overall on the season. Gershaw was 4-1 in doubles' play in NESCAC action, including going 6-1 at the No. 3 position. Cranley also went 6-3 at No. 2 doubles in 2024-25, adding eight overall victories.
Tufts gets its season started Friday, September 12 at the MIT Invitational.
--JUMBOS--
