CORTLAND, N.Y. - The New Paltz women's tennis team won the SUNYAC Championship last season and are entering the 2019 season at the top of the preseason coaches poll with 43 votes. Oneonta came in at a close second with 41 votes. Geneseo was ranked third and received 35 total votes.
New Paltz has accumulated five SUNYAC Championship victories overall, all under current head coach Rob Bruley. Bruley was the recipient of last season's SUNYAC Coach of the Year Award and has received it four times previously (2002, 2004, 2006, 2010). New Paltz also had last season's Peter Cahill Award winner, Trinity Chow (Glen Cove, N.Y.).
Oneonta took second place in the SUNYAC women's tennis championship in 2018 and second place in this year's preseason poll. Oneonta has two returning players who were named to the 2018 SUNYAC Women's Tennis All-Conference first team. Julieta Eulau (Oceanside, N.Y.) and Mya Lipscomb (Peekskill, N.Y.) were honored for their singles play. Eulau was also selected to the 2018 SUNAYC Women's Tennis All-Conference first team for doubles play.
Geneseo ended the 2018 regular season 5-2 in the conference to clinch the third seed going into the SUNYAC championship tournament, but fell to Oneonta, 5-1, in the semifinals. The Knights have 11 SUNYAC championship titles under their belt including seven straight from 2011-17.
2019 SUNYAC Women's Tennis Preseason Poll
1. New Paltz, 43
2. Oneonta, 41
3. Geneseo, 35
4. Fredonia, 27
5. Plattsburg, 26
Cortland, 26
7. Brockport, 16
8. Oswego, 10